The Runaway Rabbit
by Joe3562
Summary: Jack Savage was a killer. He's changed his life around, and left his old one behind. But someone tries to dig up skeletons he long since buried. Forced to steal a high tech weapon, he ends up in a completely different world. He struggles to find a way back home. Teaming up with officers Nick and Judy, he gets mixed up in a plot that threatens to rip Zootopia to pieces. AUs present.
1. Chapter 1: Not a Murderer

**Chapter One**

 **Not a Murderer**

A black unmarked van turned off the main road and onto a gravel path that followed the water. A highway loomed overhead and cast the area below in shadows. The night sky above was clouded over, making it darker than normal. The van's headlights turned off as it reached an area completely hidden by the concrete bridge above. The passing hum of traffic filtered down as the van backed up till it was near the edge. A few specks of gravel fell off and plunked into the murky waters a few feet below. The van shut off and the back opened up, a naked body fell down as soon as it opened.

The tan brown kudu was bound by thick coarse ropes around his midsection, keeping his arms at his side, as well as along his feet. He tried to worm away, but was quickly scooped up by a large gray rhino. The basalt monolith of a rhino wore gray khakis and a black t-shirt that threatened to rip apart to shreds against the thick muscles underneath. A cut ran along the length of his horn. The rhino gave a growl as he fixed the gag in the kudu's mouth. He stood the kudu up on the edge of the water with one hand, while the other grabbed a set of chains bolted to a concrete block each. He fastened them to the ropes around the kudu's legs; then removed the gag. The kudu retaliated by spitting in the face of the rhino and yelled out for help.

A car zoomed by above, rocking the overpass and drowning out his screams for help. The rhino sneered at the kudu as he wiped the spit away. Rage filled his dark olive colored eyes. As the noise lessened a voice spoke from the edge of the van, behind the rhino, "Screaming won't do anything for you Flint."

The kudu looked to the van as the rhino moved away and towards the side. Sitting on the edge, with his feet dangling halfway to the gravel below was a small off-white rabbit. There were black stripes like claw marks on both of his cheeks and a large portion of the tips of his ears were black as well. A black line colored his ears just below the tips as well. The rabbit looked at the kudu with sky blue eyes.

He was dressed in a black suit jacket over a plain white shirt and black dress pants. Resting in the bunny's lap was a white, orange, and green gun. It looked like one you would buy in a toy store, but it was no toy. The bunny kept on opening and closing the top portion of the gun, exposing a small green dart with a small tuft of red on the end.

Sitting next to the bunny on the edge of the van was a small black camera, the red light blinking to show it was recording. The kudu finally broke the silence, "Who are you?"

"My name is not important Mister Harrison." The rabbit stopped playing with the tranq gun, closing the top. He cocked it, pulling the single dart into the barrel. He kept the gun in his lap as he continued, "All that matters right now is that someone wants you dead."

The kudu remained silent as the bunny added, "And if they hired me, then they really want you dead."

"People will know I'm missing, there will be an investigation." Flint countered.

"Yes there will be," the bunny gave an amused smile, "but as history tends to repeat itself there will be no way to connect me."

The bunny removed himself from the van and took a few steps towards Flint, "That's why people hire me Flint. I am the best hitmammal in Zootopia. No mess. No fuss. Just results. And I always get my results."

"W-Who wanted me dead?" Flint couldn't believe that he was afraid of something almost a fourth of his height. He wondered how the rhino, the brute that he was, worked for such a smaller boss. A boss he could probably crush with just his pinkie finger. The rabbit stood between Flint and the van as he raised the dart gun, aiming right for the kudu's chest. The bunny smiled and stated matter-of-factly, "Your wife, Harrison."

"Janet?" Flint felt that the rabbit was lying. Janet would never do this. She loved him, and he her. Their relationship was fine, a bit rocky at times; but whose wasn't from time to time. He looked to the rabbit, "You're lying."

"I wish I was," the rabbit sighed moving the gun to his side, "but you'd be surprised how many times I get requested by a spouse to kill their significant other." He raised the gun again, "You'll soon be another digit to that statistic Flint. Perhaps a spot on the six o'clock news tomorrow about a body being fished from the waters off of the Rainforest District. You should be honored."

"Honored?! Honored that you are going to kill me!"

"Not me," the bunny tsked. He removed the safety, engaging the gun the dart primed to fire, "I'm merely going to put you to sleep and it is the water that is going to kill you. I am not a murderer, just an assistant to the outcome."

Flint didn't get a word out as a small whip of wind filled the empty air around them. He felt a small pinch in his left shoulder. Looking down he saw the green dart embedded in his flesh. The red tuft of faux feathers ruffled in the slight breeze. Flint's eyelids started to feel heavy. His toes went numb and he began to lose what little balance he had. His vision blurred as he watched the white blur that was the rabbit hop back into the van and shut the door. A big gray blur filled his vision as it towered over him. He felt the dart removed from his shoulder before the limb went numb as well. He tried to hold on. He tried to scream for help, but his voice refused to make itself known. His vision began to fade as the rhino pressed squarely into his chest. With one quick effortless push the rhino sent Flint backwards off the edge. With what little feeling he had left he only felt coldness as his body was entangled with it. He finally slipped as he felt something creep along his leg.

…

A little more than ten minutes later the black unmarked van removed itself from the shadowed abyss and back onto the main road. It merged onto the highway it was just under and moved towards inner Savanna Central. The clouds above began to part to expose a waning moon above. Its light didn't make itself known from the yellowed lights hanging over the highway like noose-less gallows. The rhino was at the wheel, silently driving to a destination. The white rabbit was in the passenger seat with the emptied tranq gun in his arms.

He had removed the barrel completely and was working his tiny paws to find something in particular in the inner mechanisms. He had done this before; it was second nature at this point. He found the small gear he was searching for and slowly flicked it a notch backwards. He smiled as he grabbed the barrel next to him and effortlessly reattached it like it had never been removed. He threw the gun on the floor; it clattered before coming to a rest. He looked to the rhino and said, "Let's go tell the new widow that she is now."

The rhino simply nodded and signaled to take the upcoming exit. They seamlessly joined the sparse traffic at the current hour. The bunny looked to the green digital display of the radio. It was nearly four, in the morning. It had all worked as planned; with Flint working the night shift as a security guard at some office building it was easy to get him alone. The graveyard shift is always the best time to make a new addition. He had a feeling that Mrs. Harrison would not be sleeping right now. She would probably be waiting for the doorbell to ring and for him to present her with the proof Flint was dead. He glanced to the video camera resting on the floor in front of him.

A few turns later and the van came to a stop. The rhino shut the van off and he followed the bunny, who carried the camera, to the front of 418 Babylon Terrance. The rhino pressed the pearl like button and a classic ding-dong greeted them. The lights behind the door sprang to life. They heard a lock being undone and the door opened soon after. Standing in the half opened doorway was a female kudu dressed in a lightly pinked nightgown. She looked to the rhino and then the rabbit, "Is it done?"

"Yes Missis Harrison it is. Would you like me to show you," the bunny shook the camera in his arms to emphasize the point. She obliged and let the two pass in. The three of them not paying attention to the car parked on the opposite side of the street. The three passengers of the car removed themselves and walked towards the black van.

Inside the rabbit sat on a chair far larger than him. The rhino leaned against the wall. Janet sat on the couch with the camera in her arms. The display screen was folded out and she was currently watching the video. She watched as the white rabbit shot a dart into Flint's shoulder and the rhino shoved him into the water. A loud splash played out, and she closed the camera. She set it to the side and looked to the bunny, "How much do I owe you Mister Savage?"

"My going rate is five hundred a hit. But seeing as it wasn't as taxing this time I'll make it four fifty. Give you a bit of a discount."

Janet rose and she walked to the kitchen, "In cash right?"

"Yes."

She nodded as she entered the next room over, the light turning on as she looked for the cash. Savage looked to the rhino, "You can wait in the van for me Boris."

"Yes boss," the rhino spoke in a voice graveled by smoking. Boris removed himself from the wall and exited through the door. Janet walked back in with the money in her hands; she walked to Savage, "Four fifty as you asked."

She went to hand him the money, but as she did the door slammed in. The door reached the end of its hinges and made a hole in the wall the size of the door knob. Boris was tackled into the room with a polar bear on his back. A wolf and a cheetah funneled in on top of them. All three of them dressed in police gear. The bear restrained Boris as the wolf and cheetah pointed tasers at both Savage and Janet. Janet instinctively raised her arms, dropping the money. Savage gave a small chuckle and remained still in his seat.

…

Another police cruiser drove up to the barricade formed on Babylon Terrance. The sun had already risen and was washing Zootopia in orange light. Stepping out of the car was a lone red fox. Officer Nick Wilde donned in his classic police attire as well as his aviator sunglasses looked at the scene before him. Several houses were blocked off by yellow police tape, barricades, and police cars. Several officers were keeping the public and the prying news teams from getting a glimpse of the scene outside of address 418. A black van was parked outside of the house, every door was opened and two officers were removing evidence from it. Nick limboed under the DO NOT CROSS tape with ease and walked towards the van.

Officers gave him glances, but returned to their duties as Nick pushed the slightly ajar door to 418. Inside he saw a handcuffed kudu sitting in a chair. She was pleading to the gray wolf officer next to her that she did nothing. Also in the room were a rhino and a rabbit sitting off to the side with a polar bear right by their sides. Everyone stopped at Nick's entrance. He shut the door behind him. He sighed as he removed and pocketed his glasses. He looked to the wolf, "Frank take her to the station, her pleas won't do her any good anymore."

"Yes sir," Frank helped Janet up. He escorted her out into the street where a flurry of flashing lights greeted the two of them. Nick closed the door again and looked to the polar bear, "Lavender can you un-cuff the boys?"

"Never did sir," Lavender answered.

Boris confirmed the statement by standing up and showing his cuff less wrists, "Got what you needed Wilde?"

"Yes, Lavs still needs to take you out in cuffs."

"They chafe," Boris gave a half whine as he turned away from the bear and presented his wrists behind his back. She cuffed him, as he commented, "Next time don't tackle me to the ground as hard."

"Yeah, yeah," Lavender chided as she carried him out into the street where another barrage of flashes greeted them. Nick looked to the only other occupant of the room. Savage had stood up and was now sitting on the couch. He looked to Nick and stated, "McHorn makes a good hitmammal doesn't he Nick?"

"Yep," Nick answered walking towards the chair Janet previously occupied, "So where is Flint right now?"

"I think the arrangement was for your boys to take him to Central."

"You did well Jack."

"I always do my job well," Jack smugly answered leaning back into the couch.

"She believed the video?"

"Every second of it." He looked to Nick, "You got the best ex-hitmammal at your disposal here."

"Any more jobs yet or no?"

Jack shook his head, "The wells been dry the past few months. I think Zootopia is wising up to not trust hitmammals anymore."

"Then I guess your job is successful."

"Are you firing me Wilde?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's Bogo's job if he wants to, but I think he likes having you around."

"A bunny with a record of six murders he likes to have in his company." Jack question, "Are you sure this is Bogo we are talking about?"

Nick gave a small laugh and answered, "Six murders yes, but you also prevented a dozen with this one now."

"Hopefully I can add more to the second list," Jack added removing himself from the couch and walked to the kitchen. Nick followed him lazily, standing in the doorway as Jack hopped up onto the counter. The bunny walked towards a small window that gave a nice view of the alley between 418 and its neighboring buildings. Nick spoke, "All is prepared for your disappearance. McHorn will take the fall and return to desk work. There will be no evidence of Jack Savage here as always."

"You do it the best Nick," Jack commented opening the small window. He looked back, "I'm glad we made that deal instead of me rotting behind bars."

Nick laughed as Jack was halfway through the window, "Knowing your record I have a feeling a worse punishment would have been dealt to you."

"How much worse than a life behind bars?"

Nick looked to Jack as if the bunny should know the answer. Jack held himself by the edge of the window with his small paws. He looked at the fox, turning his ears down, "Do you really think that they would reinstate the death penalty for me?"

"Six murders is quite a big number for Zootopia."

"Yeah," Jack let go and landed in the alley on the balls of his feet. He shouted back to the window, "But eighteen would have been a lot worse."

Nick just chuckled as he gave a goodbye and shut the window. Jack returned it and turned heel. He followed the alley to the other end of the block. Far away from 418 and the prying eyes of the public and media. He exited onto a sidewalk and calmly joined the small bustle of mammals as the work day was to begin soon. He checked his phone, almost 6:30. He smiled and walked to his new destination, breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2: Red Ledger

**AN:** I'd like to thank all that have faved, followed, and just plain read my story. The amount of people that have looked at it really makes me happy to finally publish this story. And I hope those numbers increase as it progresses. And for everyone to know, I plan on updating this story at least once a week.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **Red Ledger**

Jack sat in a maroon faux leather red booth by himself. The table was covered in Formica to make it look like white marble with black veins. It was a small diner hidden amongst the grandeur of Zootopia that he chose as his place to eat. He chose it on a number of occasions. He loved their blueberry cobbler; made with the best blueberries from Bunnyburrow. But a cobbler was not what he ordered today. He went with a plain order of some steamed vegetables. He sipped from the complementary water as he waited for his glass of ice tea and meal. He looked to the tables around him; they were all vacant of occupants; just how he liked it.

He always requested a seat far from the other patrons. He liked to be by himself, not pull any attention to himself. To blend into the background. That is how society saw most bunnies. Cookie cutter. Copy and paste. A dime a dozen. That is how everyone always saw him and every other bunny. And he liked it. He raised no alarms or red flags. He was a nobody, and that's what made his job so easy.

No one would expect a bunny to be a hitmammal, a killer. They are so cutesy, woosty, fluffy, et cetera et cetera. They couldn't even harm a fly. And Jack never did, but other mammals he has. He was good at his job. He always flew under the radar and was never of any suspicion. He was successful at leaving no link to him. That is until he was blindsided by the ZPD. They seemed to be able to track his operations and were able to ensnare him before he could complete a hit. He was well versed at seeing the veil that the police hid behind and how they did things. But one sly red fox had done better than anyone had done before. Nick Wilde had figured out how he had worked and used that against him. Nick had outsmarted him, and Jack was pleasantly surprised that he had been for once.

He was looking at life behind bars, but Officer Wilde saw the _potential_ in him as he phrased it. He offered a deal to Jack. A deal that would keep him on the side of the bars he preferred to be on. Jack would work for the police as a resource for cutting down the underground that financed mammals like him. And especially no more killing whatsoever.

He also had to drop his relationship with Vincent Valentine, one that the ZPD did not know.

Vincent didn't like losing one of his best mammals, but he knew when he had been outplayed by the police. He agreed to drop Jack and let him go free, with one warning. If he ever crossed him with the information that Jack held, he would end up at the bottom of the watering hole with some new concrete shoes. Jack agreed.

He now worked for the ZPD as a fake hitmammal, but not committing to any of the hits. Instead fake the murders and get the one that called the hit arrested. It was just what he use to do, but with more rules and guidelines. And an undercover officer by his side throughout the hit. McHorn, or his stage name of Boris, was the classic one for the call, but others had taken the post.

Jack was pulled from his thoughts when the zebra waitress returned with his order and tea. She set them down in front of him, "Anything else?"

"No, thank you," Jack returned and she wondered off to tend to another table.

He began to eat the assortments of steamed vegetables. Broccoli, carrots, string beans, cauliflower, and tofu corn. He didn't get far into his meal when he felt a disturbance in the booth connected to the back of his. He paid no heed as he continued with his meal, or would have until the occupant to his back spoke up, "Hello there Mister Savage."

Jack dropped the fork with a piece of broccoli nosily to express his annoyance. He spoke with venom, "I don't due jobs in person. If you want to employ me find my website. It shouldn't be too hard if you were able to find me."

"Why I wish to employ you cannot be discussed over the internet Savage." The obvious male voice countered. It was the kind of voice some scum would get living their lives in the filth that was the sewers.

"Leave me," Jack spoke back returning to his meal.

"Is that really how Mister Valentine taught you to speak to customers?"

Jack slammed his fork down on the table in anger, "Vincent knows very well that I can't work for him, so what does that panda want? I have not broken our agreement."

"I don't work for Mister Valentine Savage."

"Then you have no business talking to me," Jack answered, "So leave my presence now or you will be sorry."

Jack was bluffing. He couldn't get violent as terms of his agreement with Nick. But this douche didn't know that and Jack just wanted some peace from this waste of time. The annoyance remained, "In fact, Savage I believe you will talk business with me."

He paused before adding, "Because of these."

He punctuated the statement by dropping something on the floor in front of Jack. The rabbit looked down to see a vanilla manila folder opened up with its documents on full display. There were pictures paper clipped to a stack of papers. Jack froze at what the contents of the file were. He glanced to the mammal that invaded his calm breakfast. Looking right back at him was a brown gray nine-banded armadillo. He wore a trench coat the exact same color as his armored skin. The armadillo sized Jack up with his gray eyes. As Jack did to him.

Jack looked sternly at the armadillo, "Where did you get those."

Jack grimaced and flashed clenched teeth at the mammal. The armadillo gave a half laugh, "You won't scare me Mister Savage. I know that you can't harm me."

He pointed to the files on the floor. Jack still held the anger, "Who are you?"

"Just call me Hoover."

"Ok, Hoover, then where did you get these?" Jack pointed a finger at the papers, his claws bared.

"Temper, temper Jack." Hoover noticing the rising anger in the small fluff ball, "I got these documents from my benefactor that wishes to employ you."

"A middle man," Jack noted, "Why doesn't your boss show his face to me. Then I will think about killing him instead."

"Killing will not be on the agenda today Savage."

"Who is your employer?"

"That is on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know."

"If I'm going to be working for a mysterious mammal in the shadows, then I ought to know his name before I take any job he wants."

"If you listen to the job, I may answer your questions Jack."

"Tell your boss no." Jack didn't want any more of this. He looked for the waitress to flag her down for his check. Hoover chimed in again, "I'm just going to tell you, know declining this offer will come with major consequences."

"Sure," Jack still couldn't see the zebra.

"If you say no, then that information will be released to the general public. Everyone will know by tomorrow everything about you. Especially your friends at the ZPD about your relationship with Vincent Valentine. A monstrous, malicious, short-tempered bunny with a kill count of eleven."

"I only killed six," Jack turned back to face Hoover.

Hoover smiled, "You and I both know that is a lie. You lied to everyone, even your best friend officer Wilde. There is more red in your ledger than you would like people to know. You only speak of your freelance work, but you forget what Valentine had you do."

Jack clenched his fists as his anger towards the armadillo rose higher. Hoover continued, "The Hopps were such a cute couple, your first hit ever. Members of your own kind. And right in front of their daughter."

Jack removed himself from his booth, kicking the documents away. He stood in front of Hoover, "How dare you say that name. You have no business bringing that up. Those were skeletons I buried deep in my closet long ago."

"That's the thing Savage," Hoover laughed, "my boss can dig up anything no matter how deep it is buried. Even something in the burrows."

"I am really tempted to kill you right now Hoover."

"If you do, then my boss will take that as noncompliance and this information will be on the afternoon news today. And I'm sure you don't want Vincent to see it do you?"

"This is outright blackmail; do you really think I would do what you want me to?"

"Then I guess you don't care about what that panda will do to you or anyone else that much at all. Even your little vulpine friend. I'll just tell my boss then," Hoover reached into his coat and pulled out a cell phone. Jack stopped him before he could unlock it, "Wait."

Hoover smiled and put the phone back, "I knew you would see it our way."

"Nick is an innocent. No one deserves that sort of fate."

"You are right," Hoover added, "the first fox cop. One of the best on the force, rising star. It would have been a shame for all of that to come crashing down because one bunny was too selfish."

"What's your job?" Jack liked this armadillo less and less.

Hoover motioned with a clawed hand to the side of the booth opposite him, to which Jack took. The look of anger not escaping his face. Hoover just smiled and answered with a question, "Do you know of Summit Enterprises?"

"What's the relevance?"

"All of it," Hoover still held the smile, "Do you know of them or not?"

"Yes." Jack grumbled.

"What my benefactor wishes is for you to liberate something from their possession."

"I'm a hitmammal not a cat burglar," Jack stated matter-of-factly.

"That may be the case, but your talent of not leaving a trace and not being seen is why they wish to employ you Savage."

Jack sighed. He rubbed his eyes with a paw, "What is it you want me to steal?"

"My boss didn't tell me much about it. There isn't much information on it," Hoover responded reaching into his jacket and pulling a second manila folder. He placed it on the table and slid it over to Jack. Jack reluctantly took it and opened to see a few pieces of paper, and a picture of some strange looking watch. Hoover explained, "It is classified as project Nexus. It is some sort of energy weapons device."

"And your benefactor wants this, because?" Jack asked closing the folder seeing it offering him no benefit.

"Didn't say, it was a need to know basis and I was out of the know."

"The life of a middle man," Jack stated giving the folder back to the armadillo.

"Very true," Hoover accepted the folder and stowed it back, "So I take this as an acceptance of the job?"

"To infiltrate a highly secretive tech conglomerate and steal a high tech prototype that they have been working on for years perhaps. A device that is classified as a weapon. And give it to a faceless powerful crime boss. And if I say no, the lives of several ZPD and mine are ruined." Jack looked to Hoover for anything. Something he might have missed.

Hoover simply smiled, "That's the gist of it Savage. Do we have a deal?"

Hoover extended a slimy clawed hand across the table. Jack was hesitant to accept it, but knew that he was blackmailed into a corner. He sighed accepting the claw and giving a single shake. Hoover grinned and removed himself from the booth. He began to scoop up the spilled folder on the rabbit off the floor. As he did he spoke, "There is a restaurant in the Canal District called The Caída de Agua. It's by the mountains, take a Zuber. Go have a nice dinner there. Once you are done exit from the bathroom window and find the garden outback."

Hoover finished retrieving the files and tucked it back in his coat. He turned to the sitting rabbit and continued, "There you will find a duffle bag of supplies that will help you infiltrate the Summit compound. You will receive more directions when you get the bag. Get in, get it, and get out. We will meet later, then you will give me Nexus and I will destroy the file." Hoover tapped the stowed file he had just picked up.

"Understood?" Hoover asked the rabbit. Jack nodded his answer. Hoover smiled and made to an exit, "then a good day to Mister Savage and good luck."

Hoover turned and walked to the exit of the diner. He stopped and quickly turning back adding, "And don't even think about contacting your fox friend or any other of those pigs. We will be watching you and if we see any course of deceit then the information will be released no matter what." Without waiting for a response Hoover continued on his exit.

Jack watched him silently. It was now that he finally noticed the other patrons of the restaurant. None of them knew what had transpired. And none of them will. With his ears plastered to the back of his head Jack removed himself from the booth and entered his. His food had already cooled off. He clenched his fists, his hands cracking slightly. He cursed and flagged down the waitress. A few minutes later Jack paid his bill and exited the diner, his appetite completely gone.


	3. Chapter 3: Caída de Agua

**AN:** With the first review of this story, I would like to say that I am open to any form of review. Whether that be questions, comments, or critiques of this story. Critiques I am open to most of all, they can help me be a better writer as well as improve this story for you readers. I will answer questions to the best of my ability without spoiling any of the future plans that I have for the story. But to answer the question of the guest, Judy is fine. But to note, Jack's Zootopia is not exactly the same as the one we saw in the movie.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 **Caída de Agua**

Jack spent the rest of his day trying to find any information on an armadillo named Hoover, yet nothing came up. He figured that Hoover was a fake name given to hide whoever the armadillo worked for. Jack didn't care; whoever was blackmailing him had powerful connections. Powerful enough to make Jack currently sit in the back of a Zuber car, with a cheetah driving him through the Rainforest District towards the back end of the Canals. Rain constantly pelted the car as it weaved along the snake like roads through, under, and over the many real and artificial trees of the rainforest.

Night had fallen a while ago. Jack had called the Zuber when he felt that it was time that he do as he was requested. He despised it, but he knew he had to. He didn't care about his life being ruined. It was ruined a long time ago by himself. Killing is a downward spiral to the life that is his. He just never thought those skeletons would come back to haunt them. It is a bit of karma for him, he just figured he made amends for the past by helping the ZPD. But the cosmos seemed to have other plans with him.

What he really cared about was Nick and his fellow officers. There was also someone else that he hurt badly that he made a deal with Vincent about. And if that information got out, then that deal was gone, and she was as good as dead. Vincent would most likely make everyone he knew personally pay if that information was released. The ZPD made a huge gamble by trusting him and allowing him to live his life outside of prison. And right now they were the ones nearly paying for it. Jack knew he had to keep them safe from Hoover and his employers, as well as the panda. Whoever they were, they didn't care whose tail they crushed to get what they desired. Jack was just another pawn in their plans for whatever they wished to achieve. And this Nexus project was the current objective.

Savage was pulled from his thoughts as the car came to a stop. He stood up to look out the window to see The Caída de Agua come into view. It may be dark and misted by the rain, but the lighting of the restaurant made it visible in the bleakness of night. A natural waterfall fell from the mountains looming overhead and was worked into the architecture of the building. It was a four story structure that curved and morphed to allow the water to freely flow over itself. The windows and walls were encased in thin streams of water that all condensed into a moat around the building. This ran off into the waters not that far below in an artificial stream.

The building was made from stone, almost as if it was carved out of the mountain face itself. Orange fogged glass graced the structure; making it look like several packs of lightning bugs had taken residence in the safety from the falling water. A wooden bridge crossed the moat and lead to a grand front door where the name Caída de Agua was glowing in red neon. Jack thanked the driver and removed himself from the car. He shut the door behind and briskly made his way across the wet polished wood of the bridge. The car left him in the inky blackness as Jack escaped the continuous rain that accented the Rainforest District. He made it under cover, shaking as much of the water from his clothes as he possibly could. He went with a black turtle neck sweater and dark brown khakis. He wore a suit jacket that matched the pants. He felt like a college professor ready to do a lecture in front of far from enthusiastic students.

The restaurant was on the higher end of society, the location showed that. So he dressed up a bit than his usual black jacket, pants, and plain white shirt. The place needed a reservation; otherwise you would not get a seat. Unless you were willing to fork over a good sum under the table. Jack was prepared; he always did research on places he would go. Only this time he wouldn't have to kill anyone. He knew exactly what Hoover was making him do, establish an alibi for the night. Records would show him going to the restaurant and paying for dinner.

He would just be adding a trip to Summit on the other side of the mountain he was currently at. The inside of the restaurant was dimly lit, like those chain Cheesecake Works places that dotted Zootopia. The front entrance was filled with red and purple couches with a wood lectern dyed to look like mahogany. The floors were coated in rust colored tiles. The walls were painted peach and themed like a temple. There were engravings like old stone masonry that lined the walls. And pillars accented arched doorways. Standing at attention at the podium was a jet black jaguar. It held an over exaggerated poise stance. He barely gave Jack a glance before asking, "Reservation?"

"Savage, Jack Savage." The rabbit answered back. Again the jaguar maître d' gave a very small glimpse at the book in front of him. Obviously filled with the names of all the current mammals planning on eating here. And as Jack could tell by the clank and clatter of plates and silverware, the place was positively packed. A few seconds passed before the jungle cat found the name, "Here you are, follow me."

He removed himself from the podium with a menu that he pulled out of somewhere, Jack followed suit as the jaguar didn't care if he did or not. They walked along a pathway lined by stone banisters shaped like tear drops. Tables of the same style as the podium filled the sunken floor in a haphazard array. Each surrounded by chairs of the shade with red and purple cushions. The jaguar led Jack away from the first floor and towards a mason staircase. The second floor was just like the first. Only the tables here were far smaller, made for smaller mammals. Whilst the first floor was suited for larger ones. The walls were lined with large cone lights that gave the atmosphere of being lit by torches.

Savage was lead to an empty table for two. The jaguar pulled a red chair out for him, which he hopped in. The cat left a menu on the table in front of Jack, "I waiter will be with you shortly."

He turned and returned to his post, leaving Jack amongst a sparsely populated floor than the one below. A small candle sat in the middle of the table with a small bulb of fire burning away at the white wax. Jack looked to the watch on his wrist, nearly eight. He would have a small dinner before doing his job. He opened the thick menu, he judged ten pages just looking at the thing, and tried to find the salad section.

…

Jack paid after a dinner of a salad made for two, which he didn't finish nor did he want it bagged. He was now in the bathroom on the second floor. The bathroom was the same as the rest of the restaurant, albeit a bit more illuminated. The stalls were made of wood dyed almost black and the tiles were not as dark as the rust ones outside. The theme was still carried over though.

He turned off the tap of water and looked to his surroundings. There was no one with him, perfect to make an exit when he was expected to be gone. He stepped down from the sink and walked to the wall opposite the door to the rectangular room. He hopped up onto the radiator under the window, and quickly jumped up there to not risk burning his feet. The window was small, and faced the back of the restaurant, towards the mountain wall and a small outdoor garden behind the restaurant. That was currently devoid of occupants due to the still present rain.

Jack gave one more check to the room before unlatching the window. It creaked against underused hinges. He pushed it as far as he needed for him to pass through. He crawled under, and set the latch to relock when he closed it. He stepped down onto a slanted roof. He worked to regain his balance on the slick tiles. The window closed and locked itself behind him. Jack smiled and made his way across the roof and towards the edge, where a few short trees lined the edge. He angled correctly before jumping and grabbing onto the leaves of the palm tree. He cautiously maneuvered off the wet trunk and towards the paved path that weaved around the entire garden. He entered the sodden garden. True to Hoover's words, there was a black duffle bag set on one of the black metal tables.

Jack grabbed the bag that was just a bit smaller than him and exited the garden, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He sat behind some bushes, under the cover of the outcropping the restaurant created in the mountain. There he opened the bag to find a good amount of supplies that Hoover promised. The first thing Jack noticed was an Arcus 12T handgun. This one was silver with a black barrel section. A classical civilian issued tranq dart gun. He preferred the use of the 12VM, which is what he always used.

Jack was well versed with all forms of weapons; lethal and none. As a hitmammal he had to be, he mostly went for the non-lethal to make it harder to track. So many civilians in Zootopia had those kinds, but lethals were almost solely used by the ZPD and SWAT. It made it easier for him to slip into the shadows as he always did with non-lethals.

The 12T was a seven dart clip gun that could be fitted with darts of varying sedation levels. To take down an elephant or a rabbit like him and anything in between. The 12VM replaced the magazine with a single shot clip for quick exchange for different tranq doses. There were four magazines for the Arcus in the bag. Jack removed one of the darts; looking it over he saw the dosage was for medium sized animals, majority of Zootopia's populous. He put the dart back in its place and looked back to the bag.

He also found a black latex suit in the bag; it blended with the night and looked almost invisible, except when light was shined on it directly. Jack saw this with the little moonlight that was able the peek through the thick clouds and the holes in the mountain. There was a belt as well with it that had slots for the Arcus, magazines, and some grenades. In the bag he found two of three types flash, concussion, and smoke. Next there were some gloves that matched the suit. They had various straps and wires along them, looking more high tech than simple gloves. The wires covered by carbon colored material. The inside of the gloves had padding along the fingers and palm area. The last thing in the bag was an old flip phone, with a piece of yellow lined paper inside it. Setting the bag down Jack inspected the phone, taking the paper out it had a small message written on it

 _Press One and Send._

Seeing as this will probably grace him with the voice of Hoover again Jack obliged and followed the short directions. Holding the phone to his ear it rang twice before he heard the other end pick up. There was silence over the line, but was quickly ended by the voice of the armadillo on the other end, "Glad to see you got my care package Savage."

"Hoover." Jack spoke back not wanting to waste time.

Hoover gave a short laughed before speaking, "Now that you have agreed to go through with your job let me give you a bit of direction. But first let me just state that this is a burner phone. It can only call me and me you. After this is all said and done it must be destroyed."

Jack agreed and Hoover continued, "Now I expect you to know what you were supplied with in the bag save for the suit and the gloves. Did I assume right."

"Yes." Jack confirmed for the armadillo.

"Good. The suit is a special stealth tech for night operations. It blends in with dark backgrounds, so use that to your advantage. The gloves are powerfully adhesive. Flexing your hands activates them. They will allow you to stick to almost any surface, but easily move along. When the light is blue the adhesion is successful. Just remove your hand from the surface to disengage the effect. The light turning red will signal this. Do you follow?"

Jack confirmed again.

"Now about the compound." Hoover continued, "I would like to inform you that my and your employers will like to limit the amount of casualties tonight, so try to keep it at a zero. The compound is guarded with heavily equipped guards. Less than a mile down the road will be a back entrance to the compound. It will be guarded, so be careful. Once inside you will need to find the building that houses Nexus. It should be along the side of the mountain, a cylindrical building. Marked with an upside-down encircled triangle. It should be on the second to last floor of the building. Once you retrieve it head to five five two Taiga Drive in Tundratown. There I will be waiting for you to exchange the Nexus for the destruction of my files on you. You got all that Savage."

"Every bit." Jack responded less than joyful.

"Good, then good luck and have fun bunny burglar."

Without any time to spare the line went dead. Jack closed the phone and threw it and the piece of paper in the bag. He sighed and took his jacket off and it too went into the bag. As did his pants and shirt. He stood naked in the cold damp air for a few seconds. He grabbed the latex suit and slowly put the cold material on. The thing covered every inch of his body except his feet, paws, and head. It fit him exactly; obviously whoever Hoover worked for had some very powerful friends in the weapons sector. As obviously as much information on him as they pleased.

He attached the belt and fit everything in its rightful place. The gloves went on next. He flexed his hands once to test them, the blue lights on the back of the hand coming to life; they switched to red and faded quickly. He flexed again to shut them off. He slung the duffle bag onto his back. He felt hardly any weight on him. He needed to move fast, probably why he was supplied with so little. He liked this; he knew he had to get in and get out fast. He wanted this to be over as soon as he could be. He followed Hoover's directions and headed towards where the back entrance road would be.


	4. Chapter 4: Project Nexus

**Chapter Four**

 **Project Nexus**

The rain continued to pour as Jack saw something in the distance along the edge of the mountains. A clap of thunder and flash of lightning helped him distinguish a fenced off gravel road. He also spied two mammals standing at attention at the chain link fence. Jack dove to the ground, to ensure he wasn't spotted by what he saw at a glance were timberwolves. He moved the leaf of a jungle fern aside to spy on the guards. One was off white and the other a silvery gray. They stood behind a black and yellow arm barricade connected to a glass box guard station where a third sat, this one also a wolf on the black fur side. The two seemed to be in a conversation, while the third was reading some book or magazine. Jack also spied the HC T3s they held. Heavy fire power for guards, just like Hoover said.

The HC was an assault anti-riot tranq dart gun. With a clip filled with twenty darts, semi-automatic fire. Can take down any animal in no time, and Jack being a small bunny made him a one shot take down. He had to be careful to avoid any shot coming his way. And if these were just a few of the guards he figured there would be countless more in the actual compound, all equipped with the same, or even stronger fire power. All three of them were wearing the same clothing, all black with a silver symbol on the back.

It was the symbol for Summit Tech. A circle with two curved lines in the shape of a pointed mountain, with a horizontal one crossing through the center. It always looked haphazardly drawn, like something someone scribbled on the napkin at a restaurant when coming up for the idea of the logo. Jack let go of the fern leaf and softly moved under the foliage as coverage. The rain was coming down harder now, the constant impacts of the rain seemed to drown out the noises of ruffling vegetation as the rabbit snaked his way closer and closer to the wolves. He hoped that he wouldn't be detected; he knew that the guard in the box must be the closest to some sort of alert system. If he got spotted the whole operation would crumble. He didn't dare think what Hoover's employers would do with the information they had if he failed.

Jack moved another leaf of a shrub to check on his targets. One of the wolves had moved away from the other two and was currently smoking a cigarette. He was facing right at Jack, but did not notice him. The light from the guard booth seemed to have affected his night vision. The other wolf had joined the last one in the booth. Jack continued to move closer, sticking to the underbrush and shadows.

Coming to rest again Jack sat on the edge of the plant growth. He was right by the wolves, with perfect aim at all three of them. He grabbed the Arcus from his belt, undid the safety, and made sure he had a pin in the chamber. One dart would suffice in taking down the wolves. Taking aim he quickly shot three times, small whips of wind flew from the gun as the green darts hit their marks. Each of the wolves yelp with the prick of the needle. They quickly reacted trying to find the source, but didn't get that much time as the fast acting tranquilizer took effect. They slowly slumped over and fell to the ground unconscious. Stowing the gun away Jack hurried up passed the knocked out wolves and up the steep sloped road. He would have liked to move them to get them out of sight, but he lacked the strength to move three adult wolves.

He didn't run into any more guards as the road flattened out and leveled with the mountains. A long tunnel bore through the mountain to the other side, where Jack spied artificial light. Yellow bulbs hung from the ceiling illuminating the tunnel, yet no one was present. The road was slightly paved here. Jack moved quickly down towards the other end.

Slowing down as he neared the edge, Jack stuck to the shadows that claimed the edge of the tunnel. Peering over the edge he was able to seem most of the Summit compound. The road from the tunnel led down to the plateau that the tech company was based on. Large multistory buildings populated a stretch of land devoid of most plant life. A courtyard filled the center of the compound with paths leading to different buildings marked with encircled symbols. Jack tried to spy the one Hoover spoke of, but was unable to find it amongst the ones he could see.

He could make out several packs of two or three wolves patrolling the center surface of the compound. Through all of it Jack was able to spot one thing, a cylindrical building. It was the only one. It stood shorter than the other oddly shaped buildings. The main was a random jumble of rectangles, there were two dome shaped, while the others were variations of squares and rectangles. There was only one cylinder building, and it was on the complete other side of the compound. There was no way he would make it on foot to the building with the many packs of wolves canvassing the ground below.

He then noticed the cliff face of the mountain gouged out to create the plateau. The black rock rose high creating a natural defense from the prevalent storm brewing on the Rainforest side of it. The compound was open to the cooling breeze of Tundratown that it faced. The ground was devoid of snow as it was on the very edge of the winter zone. Jack could just make out the climate wall that made Tundratown possible off in the distance and Sarah Square beyond that with the sky piercing Palm Hotel illuminated against the dark canvas of the night.

Jack turned back to the rock face and saw that it outlined the back of the complex, and went all the way over to the cylinder building. Bringing up the gloves Jack flexed his hands open and the blue light came back to life. He reached around the edge of the tunnel and placed his hands on the rock. The blue light persisted as Jack gave a deep breath. He removed his feet from the ground and let the hands take hold. And they did, he dangled above the ground below, a several yard fall below him. Definitely would get injured. He brought his feet up and rested where he clung to the rocks like a gecko.

Taking it slow he pulled one arm back, the blue light turned red and his hand fell away from the rock. He shuffled on the wall, placing the hand back down, the light turning blue cementing him to the wall successfully. Taking it slowly in stride Jack made his way along the wall, a long tedious trip to the cylindrical building of his desire. He repeated the process; remove hand, shuffle, place hand, remove other hand, shuffle, place hand, repeat. Only pausing to ensure that the lights were as they were before proceeding. _Blue glue, red dead_ ; he thought to himself as a reminder. He dare not glance down, knowing full and well that a fall from this height would spell death. He only watched his movements and periodically looking at the building he was aiming towards. It was getting closer and closer, but he had yet to make it halfway along the rock face.

From the vantage he had he could see the front of the cylinder and sure enough it was marked with the same circular symbol. This one containing an upside-down triangle as Hoover said it would. Keeping at his slow pace Jack continued along the rock wall, checking that each purchase would allow the gloves adhesion. He landed his right hand down, the blue light replacing the red one. He went to remove his left hand when he saw the blue of his right fade. He watched in shock as both hands showed red lights. He felt weightless as he began to slip. He tried to grab the surface with his hands, but the gloves prevented him from gaining support.

He slammed his hands against the rock face. Instantly the red lights turned blue. Jack was jerked as his body came to a full stop from the small amount of velocity it had gained. He took deep breaths as he remained motionless. He checked the gloves to see the blue lights still shining. He was not that closer to the building, but he was closer to the ground far below. Gulping Jack resumed his slow pace, albeit a bit more cautious.

Several grueling minutes later Jack neared the rooftop of the building. He counted himself lucky that no other mishaps happened with the gloves as he crossed the other half of the mountain side. The metallic top of the building was only a few feet below him, but he saw no way to enter the building from there. All the glass windows of the structure looked stronger than he was. The front entrance was also out of the question. He didn't like it, but there was one option on the roof, the air duct. He could see a roof ventilation system. This one capped, but if it was removed it would allow him passage to the building. Making the decision Jack began to lower himself down the rock wall.

Once at a safe height he let go of the wall and tumbled on to the roof. He rolled along the roof, making a few loud bangs and possible leaving a few dents in the once smooth surface. He stopped his momentum slamming the gloves onto the roof. The blue lights coming to life and stopping his roll. He stood up and rushed to the fan. The cap came off easily to reveal the bulb head of sideways blades, spinning softly. Using the gloves Jack stopped the spinning and pulled the head in the opposite direction, severing its hold. Flexing his hands first, he dislodged the bulb and placed it to the side, revealing a passage with enough room for him to fit in. Not wanting to waste time he threw himself down into the vent, crashing into the floor of it a few feet down. He crawled towards the first open vent he saw in the shaft.

The room below was stark white, but empty. Positioning himself Jack slammed his right foot into the vent. A second time. A third. On the fourth a corner of the vent snapped out of place. Pushing his weight into it the vent gave way and deposited him unceremoniously into the room below. Picking himself up Jack made for the door of the room. He jumped up and grabbed the knob unlocking the door. He pulled the Arcus from his belt and cracked the door open. The hallway outside was empty. He rushed in, but remained in the doorframe. There was a elevator down the hall and he rushed over to it. The button to call it was well out of his reach, but he easily jumped and tapped the button before he fell back down on his powerful legs. A benefit of being a bunny. He plastered himself against the wall nearby as he waited.

It took about a minute before a ding signaled the arrival and the doors slid aside. Jack jumped inside the empty elevator. He looked at the array of buttons inside that marked all of the floors. The door shut, but the elevator remained stagnant without a destination set. He was on the fifth floor, as the lift broadcasted with a digital red five at the display. _5, 4, 3, 2, G, L1, L2, S, B, SB, SS, SS2_. Jack read the list of options, but following Hoover's instructions he jumped and squarely hit the button labeled _SS_ , he wasn't quite sure what the name meant. The lift came to life and began to descend. Jack didn't lessen his grip on the Arcus as he watched the 5 dropped to 4. G and the others passed without the elevator stopping as SS appeared.

The doors opened shortly to reveal a hallway just like the one he was in before. Only this one was not lined with doors, except at the end a set of glass doors closed off a circular room beyond. Stepping out, the doors of the elevator closed behind Jack as he approached the glass doors; with two words frosted onto it _PROJECT NEXUS_ , written in a scientific looking font. He pushed the doors aside into the dark room, which was quickly illuminated with fluorescent lights in the ceiling that detected his presence. Jack tensed up and raised the gun, fearing a wolf to pop out of the walls at any moment. Yet none did.

The room was spacious and separated into a few levels. He stood on the highest that encircled the perimeter. The floor he was on was littered with several computer screens showing active graphs, and diagrams of several different things. A set of steps before him lead to the lower level at enclosed most of the room. This floor was littered with haphazardly placed equipment; Jack was at a loss of their function. A depression formed in the center of the lower floor, where a single podium morphed from the plastic white floor. On the top of the podium rested a familiar looking watch like object. It was the Nexus.

Moving fast he rushed to the lower floor and stood next to the podium that was three times his height. Hopping up he grabbed the edge and lifted himself onto the flat top. He noticed various wires were attached to the watch and led off to different machines. He unclipped all of them and picked it up. It looked to be made of a strange dark navy blue metal. It almost looked like glass, or plastic. Not wanting to put in in the bag Jack looped the massive bracelet of a watch onto his right arm. It looked like it was made to fit a mammal far larger than him. It instantly responded to him putting it on by contracting until it snuggly fit him. It expanded at the sides, crawling up the glove, to accommodate the significant loss of circumference. Jack was pleasantly surprised by the smart tech that this obviously possessed.

He was pulled from the Nexus when his ears perked up and instinctively turned to find the source of a noise he would rather not hear. The ding of the elevator. He jumped off the pedestal as he heard sets of several foot stomps march down the hall towards the only door. He ducked behind a large box with many wires running to various instruments on it as the door opened. He spied from a small gap in the device three wolves enter the room. They remained at the door, all with their HC T3s raised, ready to fire them. A gray one began to comb the top, a grayish brown walked at a snail pace down the steps, while a jet black one took the door. The black one spoke to the room, "We know you are in here rabbit. Did you really think that we wouldn't detect movement in an empty building? Step out right now or we will fire upon you."

Jack remained silent as the brown one spoke up, "Nexus is missing Bruce."

Bruce, the black one, spoke again, "You will return what you took from Summit this instant. That is company property."

Jack looked for anything that could serve as an exit; the gray wolf would spot him once he got the right angle. The door his only escape was blocked. He needed to get out with the Nexus; he didn't want Hoover to win. He readied the Arcus; he still had five darts in his current clip, enough to deal with these wolves. He aimed it on the passageway the gray wolf was on. Bruce chimed in again, "If you don't give up now the police will be contacted."

Jack saw the gray wolf before the wolf saw him. One shot hit his neck. The wolf grabbed the dart, but fell down. The brown wolf fired three shots at the device protecting Jack. All three imbedded in the metal as the wolf said, "Rabbit is armed."

"Alright then," Bruce said as he stepped through the door, "Get him Luke." The door closed behind the wolf as Luke neared the hidden rabbit.

Jack spied something he had failed to see before, another air vent; this one on the floor. He took one glance at the advancing wolf before bolting towards it. He heard shots ring out as he jumped up and landed hard on the vent, causing it to cave in instantly sending him down.

He crashed onto a hard uneven surface of the floor below. He could hear Luke shouting from above, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Jack checked himself, no darts. He was covered in some red dust. He brushed it off as he took a look at the room he had fallen into. It seemed to be some sort of cave. At the very end the black rock of the mountain gave way to the white metal of the Summit buildings. The elevator door sat closed in the wall. Jack then noticed where he was standing. The black rock was replaced with some strange red looking growth, almost like moss. He saw it coated every inch of the area around him; floor, walls, and ceiling. The vent he had fallen through broke the red moss. The cave ended abruptly in a perfectly flat wall. On the wall was a spiral pattern with a star at the center burned into it.

Jack took a step in the moss, it squished under his toes. What he didn't expect was a crunching noise. Looking down he shifted the red mass with his foot to reveal a white stick. It was clean and polished almost like…

Jack's eyes widened as he looked closely at the cave around him. He finally noticed more of the variously shaped white sticks jutting from everywhere in the mess. Only they were not sticks. And he spied something a few feet in front of him that confirmed it. A skull. They were bones, and this was not moss. He fell back in shock and quickly shuffled his way out of the creeper of flesh and to the black rock of the cave. He stared at the massacre before him. This was a graveyard. Something happened here, something killed as he counted by the skulls he could spot seven mammals.

Summit had killed them in a horrific matter that had ripped flesh from bone and plastered it everywhere. He looked to the thing still attached to his wrist. He gulped, terrified with the realization of the other reason why these two floors where right next to each other. The Nexus had caused this death. Jack was pulled from his thoughts as the elevator dinged. He jumped with a start and went to grab the Arcus, yet it wasn't on him. He saw it in the mesh of red flesh, far from his reach.

The doors slid open as Bruce and Luke rushed into to room. They pointed their guns right at Savage. Bruce ordered, "Let me see your paws."

Jack began to raise his arms; he knew he couldn't fight them, they had the advantage. He closed his eyes. Luke began to approach as a blinding white flash filled the room. The wolf whined and backpedaled. Jack jumped and slammed his body into the wolf, pushing him to the wall. He grabbed the HC T3 and fired three shots from it at Bruce, who was rubbing his eyes. He collapsed with the dosage of tranquilizer. Taking the gun with him, Jack jumped into the elevator and slammed the G button. The door shut behind him, leaving the wolves behind. His ears were still ringing as he grabbed the spent flash bang from his belt and threw it to the side.

Setting the gun larger than him down, he pulled the emergency stop next and the elevator halted in its ascent. He pulled his ears down and rubbed them to stop the ringing, to no avail. He knew he had to think of some way to escape, there would obviously be more wolves waiting for him if he tried to get off at the ground floor. Right now he was sealed in a large suspended metallic coffin. If he didn't do anything he would as good as dead.

As the ringing finally began to subside he did notice one possible route, the vent out the top of the lift and into the concrete shaft beyond. Flexing his hands he climbed the wall of the lift. He placed his hands on the ceiling and dangled from there. He removed his right hand and shut the glove off. With his little paws he began to unscrew a screw from the cover. After the second screw fell to the floor the cover swung open. Jack smiled as he reactivated the glove and climbed through.

The inside of the shaft was cold. He looked to the very top of the shaft, cloaked in darkness, at the fifth floor door. That would serve as an adequate escape route. He jumped from the top of the elevator to the wall. The gloves holding him firmly to the wall. He began his slow ascent with a similar cycle as he did with the rock wall before.

It took substantially less time for Jack to climb to the fifth floor than it did for him to get into the Summit complex. He now hung just below the door that he climbed up to get to; he deactivated his right hand and clutched the gap of the door. He was thankful that the door's basic mechanism allowed it to be opened with ease manually. This was always the case if the elevator was to ever malfunction and the mammals inside would be able to escape if they could. True to the fact the door opened with ease, giving Jack access to an empty fifth floor. He figured that the guards would be looking for him on the ground floor, not on the top.

He made his way back into the room he first entered the building from. The vent in the ceiling was still open. Scaling the wall he made his way into the vent and back onto the roof of the building. He peered over the edge to see the front was filled with a sea of armed wolves. The entire structure, and the compound was on lockdown. An escape the conventional way would be fruitless and be highly unsuccessful.

Jack looked to the rock wall of the mountains behind him. It was his only escape. Not wishing to spend more time in the company of Summit's security personal Jack began to scale the rocks wall yet again as the wolves scoured the building for a rabbit that was not there. Up was the only way he could get out, he was not taking the long away around the perimeter again. It would be a climb, but one he was willing to take to get the hell outta dodge.


	5. Chapter 5: Backfire

**AN:** Thank you ADutchMarine, I hope everyone else is enjoying the story. And The Runaway Rabbit has just broken 300 visitors! I never thought my first Zootopia fic would get as much traffic as it did. Thank you all again for giving this story a read.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **Backfire**

Taking far less time to scale the mountain than the cross it as he did before, Jack reached the peak of one of the few that overlooked the collection of buildings below. This peak was vastly lower than those of the rest of the mountain. It was not snowcapped like the larger one next him that rose nearly another quarter mile more. Jack looked to the other side of the rocky hill to the rainforest below. His view was blocked by the misty clouds that were still depositing rain on the land below. But he was able to make out his escape plan. He saw it well before he started this whole errand, the waterfall.

It sprang life not that far from his perch on the rocky throne. It would carry him down and into the waters of the Canal District below. He would be home free and then soon on his way to give Hoover the object still wrapped around his wrist. Jack began his trek across the peak towards where the natural faucet formed from the melting snow of the peaks above.

He wasn't sure what he wanted to do, he feared Hoover's employer and what they planned to do with the object in his possession. He knew it was a weapon, but he didn't think of it as a weapon of the caliber he saw in the cave. The ability to rip flesh cleanly from bone and plaster it like putty. Jack guessed that was only a glimpse at its power, he felt he had a weapon of mass destruction attached to him at the moment.

And why would Summit create something like this. It seems like the plot out of one of those spy movies. A new age weapon is created, one that could spell countless deaths. Jack had it in his hands, and Hoover wanted it. But why? Why want something of this monstrous of nature? Death. That could be the only reason why someone would want this. Jack was against that in the most, yes it was his past. A past he buried and forgot long ago, one that he did not want to divulge into again. He couldn't let Hoover get his claws on this watch. The Nexus would only cause great destruction in the wrong hands.

"Are my hands even the right ones?" Jack stopped himself. He sighed as he pondered the question to himself. He had to give it to Hoover, in fear of Vincent if the blackmailed information was made public. But he didn't want to give it to the armadillo, fearing what would happen in the hands of his employer.

"My hands are better than anyone else," He told himself as he continued closer to the small chilled stream that fell into the waterfall. He crossed a small rise and spied the running water that sourced the falls of the Caída de Agua.

"Connection not possible, please try reattachment." Jack jumped with a start at the sudden intruding voice. He fell off of his perch and began to slip down the mountain. He grabbed the rocks with his gloved paws; a sharp rock slit open his left glove and dug into his paw. He gasped in pain as he grabbed hold of something. He stopped his descent and pulled himself up. He ripped the ruined glove off and saw a sizable gash crossed his entire paw, blood already drawn and dyeing his white fur crimson.

He threw the glove aside in anger, it bounced and clanked as it fell down the mountain. Jack went to remove the other, but the grip of the watch prevented the glove from budging. Jack went to grab the watch when he noticed it had changed. It was no longer navy blue, but instead lighter almost a shade of royal. Electric blue colored waves like surface of a calm lake pulsed across it surface to a square display. The display was no longer black, but white. That is when the same voice that had scared him spoke again, "Connection not possible, please try reattachment."

Jack looked around for the source of the voice. It sounded male, but also robotic and monotone. He looked to the now active watch on his wrist as he realized. He spoke, "A-Are you alive?"

"Hello sir," the voice seemed happy to have a response. If a machine could be happy, "I am alive in a sense. I am an intelligence software integrated into the device you now possess. But I am not alive like you are. I don't breathe, I don't require food, nor was I born like you."

"W-What are you," Jack was not prepared for this. He expected a weapon, not a computer.

"My name is Ness. I am the guidance system of the Nexus device you have in your possession. I am here to help you understand what I am, but I can't do that until I can form a proper link with you."

"A link?"

"I need to see your DNA, so that I can link to you and only you, but I am being prevented by some form of cloth, if you wish I can lessen my grip to allow this. Shall I?"

"Y-Yes."

"Very good." Instantly the watch undid its grip from his wrist. Jack pulled it off him, but held it in his hands. Could he trust this thing, was this even real? What would happen to him if he did what it requested? Was Ness, just a lie to stop him? Or was it telling the truth, that it would work for him and him alone. This could be his way to stop Hoover. Jack smiled as he slipped the Nexus onto his left wrist. He winced in pain as the cut was agitated and seeped more blood. The Nexus tightened its grip and the screen flashed white, "Connection successful sir. DNA link created and stored. What do you wish to know sir?"

Jack stood up, "What are you?"

"I am Ness. I am here to teach you about the Nexus."

"Which is?" Jack asked as he began to climb back up to the stream. Ness answered, "The Nexus is an advanced technological breakthrough. I am an energy density device. Able to perform multiple tasks that involve electricity, magnetism, energy, and anything similar. Do you follow?"

"So you are a weapon?"

"Yes and no. I have more applications," Ness paused causing Jack to stop and look to his wrist, "You are injured sir, may I assist?"

"How?"

"I can heal; it is one of my base parameters."

Jack hummed in surprise, "Ok."

It started out small, but Jack felt warmth encapsulate his left paw. He looked as a golden glow encased it. The warmth grew, but still remained comfortable like a blanket on a winter night. He watched as the gash slowly enclosed, yet he felt nothing. His flesh regrew until the cut was healed as if it was never there to begin. His fur had not grown back and was still stained with blood. The warmth faded as did the glow. Once it dissipated Ness spoke up, "All done sir. Flesh can be restored, but fur and hair has to grow back on its own accord."

"Is there a limit to what you can heal?" Jack asked as he continued towards the stream.

"Cuts and abrasions are easy. Healing broken bones is tricky but possible. That requires more resources. Recreating limbs is completely out of my power."

"Good to know," Jack knelt at the stream and began to wash his bloodied paw in the chilled water, "What else can you do."

"My powers are near limitless. It more is limited by your imagination. With the link successful the Nexus now answers to your mind. You think it, it does it. You can levitate objects. Project energy projectiles. Create barriers. Manipulate space around you for invisibility and such. You can manipulate matter."

"Quite a laundry list of abilities." Jack removed his slightly cleaner paw and dried it on the leg of the suit. There were still traces of blood in the fur, but far less than there was before.

"That is what the Nexus was designed for. A one mammal army sort of application."

"And I am the only one that can control you."

"Unless the Nexus if forcibly removed from your person or you are killed, yes."

Jack stepped closer to the edge that the waterfall began at. He asked, "Can you see what I see?"

"I am connected to your nervous system, so yes. I could project a specter of myself if you wish. But I can see the drop in front of us, are you planning on jumping?"

"Do I stand a chance of surviving said drop?"

"You are going to jump no matter what the statistics are Jack." Ness stated matter-of-factly.

Jack sighed, "You really are in my mind."

"I do not have control. It is merely for me to get an understanding of you. Do not worry I won't invade if you do not wish."

"I would like that."

"Very well sir."

"Please stop calling me sir."

"Is Jack fine then?"

"Yes."

"Very good."

Jack didn't talk anymore as he stepped on the precipice, the water of the stream cascading into the Canal District below. Not wasting a second he leaped off. Jack stuck to the stream of water, knowing it would aid in his survival. It didn't take him long to splash down in a short pool of water, but was quickly swept along a current down another fall. He smacked into the structure above the restaurant he was at hours ago. Here the stream meandered, lacking the strength to pull him. He just rested there groaned as his body began to protest the maneuver. He felt sore all over from the impact, but he was alive. He stood up on shaky legs and began to walk towards the slide like edge.

He felt the same warmth as before healing the bruises before they started as he slid down and to the ground. He splashed down in the waters of the canals; and swam to shore and back onto dry land. He found a decently sized palm that sheltered him from the still falling rain. He removed the latex suit, belt, and glove. He removed his dry clothes before throwing the wet ones in. He dressed himself slowly. Once done he took only the phone from the duffle bag and threw the bag into the water. He no longer needed its contents. He pocketed the burner and took out his own phone and called a Zuber.

He returned to the front of the Caída de Agua and waited a few minutes for a car driven by a female cheetah. As Jack stepped into the back she asked, "Where to?"

"Five Three Two Taiga Drive, Tundratown please," Jack said. She acknowledged the directions and waited for him to get situated and belted before shifting into drive. She put the direction in her phone's GPS and headed towards the address. The drive went silent as Jack watched the scenery roll by. The green lush overgrowth of the Rainforest District slowly gave way to the more urban environment of the downtown area of Zootopia. Apartment buildings and high rises dominated the skyline. Bright lights and the massive monoliths that accented the very heart of the mammal paradise.

This swiftly changed as the buildings shrank and the bright lights were muted as snow began to fill the field of vision. The sky above was clearer with less light pollution as the car moved along snow banks towards the destination. It wasn't long before the cheetah brought the car to a stop in front of a house. They were in a residential area in the shadow of the downtown area across the water. The houses here were rundown and obviously owned by mammals with very little income. Jack thanked the cheetah and stepped out of the car. As soon as he shut the door she took off, not wanting to spend another second in the slum of an area. Jack checked the numbers on the apartment like houses. He walked down towards the number Hoover had given him.

All of the buildings looked the same, the few differences like different colors and windows. A few had some window potters with tundra suited flowers. The numbers on them was the only indication of a different house. Jack stopped in front of the one marked with small address numbers 552. They were painted black, but most of the paint had chipped away and the metal below showing a long time of neglect and rust.

The house looked abandoned, not a single light was on. Nevertheless Jack strode up the iced steps and knocked on the door made for mammals larger than him. There came no response from the building. No lights turned on, nor did Jack hear any movement from inside. He checked the number on the side of the house to make sure he was at the right address. He stopped when he heard a latch being undone from the other side of the door. The door opened to reveal Hoover dressed in the same trench coat as before. He smiled, "Good to see you Jack. I was afraid you weren't going to make it with the commotion you made at Summit."

Hoover stepped aside to let Jack into the dark apartment. As he passed the threshold he asked, "How did you find out about that already?"

Hoover clapped his claws and instantly the house was bathed in light. He shut and locked the door as he headed for the steps. He ushered for Jack to follow as he answered, "Police scanner."

Jack didn't give a response as he followed Hoover up the stairs. The house seemed to be spare of any furniture. There was a good layer of dust on the floors. The wallpaper was peeling from old glue, and showing possible hints of mold. They continued up to the third. The wood floors lacked varnish and showed years of age. Scuff and claw marks marred the surface. The doors were in a similar state. Their hinges rusted and clearly oil less. They continued on to the fourth floor. Here Hoover stopped at a door that didn't match the rest of the desolate home. This door was well kept and in good condition. Hoover opened it and presented the room to Jack. Jack followed him in and he closed the door. The room was just like the rest of the place.

The walls peeling, these a sickly puke green color. An old spring bed with stains of various origins sat in a corner on half broken legs. The floor was a bit nicer showing a bit of care was taken into preserving it, but not much. A brand new metal trash can took center stage in the room. Hoover strode over to it and stood behind. He looked to Jack and asked, "So I would assume your mission was a success."

Jack raised his hand to show the Nexus around his wrist. Hoover smiled, "Wonderful."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a manila folder. The same one from the diner that held all of the information on him and Vincent Valentine. Hoover dropped it into the waste bin and then pulled a box of matches from his coat, "And as per our agreement these documents will now be burned."

He pulled a single match, lit it, and threw it into the bin. Smoke rose as it began to ignite the paper. He stowed the box away and said, "Now hand over the Nexus and your job will be done. You will no longer hear from us again."

"Now I know you are lying Hoover," Jack spoke back.

"Excuse me?" Hoover was confused.

"You and I both know that those documents you just burned were a duplicate. You still have the information on me. You aren't done with me. You will come again one day."

"I swear I won't." Hoover crossed his heart to show his truth in the statement.

"Fine. You won't but someone else that works for your boss will."

"Is this you declining giving me the Nexus?" Hoover pondered as he reached into his coat.

Jack acted faster raising his left arm. The Nexus activated and Hoover was flung into the wall behind him. Cracks formed as Jack pushed the body of the armadillo into the old drywall. Hoover gasped in surprise and pain. Jack spread Hoover's limbs out to their limits, causing Hoover to give another scream of pain. The phone he was going to grab fell from his grasp. Jack kept his hand raised as he walked forward and grabbed the phone. He tossed it into the bin with flames lapping at the air above trying to find more food.

"Now you listen to me," Jack spoke looking dead at the captive armadillo. He twisted his hand and the wall reached out and clamped down on Hoover's limbs. Holding him tight to the wall. Another tendril of dry wall also clasped onto his neck. Hoover returned the look, his full of shock.

Jack continued, "You messed with the wrong rabbit. You crossed a line at the diner. You put too many mammals in danger. Mammals I would die to protect. From you, your boss, even Vincent. No one would touch them, so long as my heart beats."

Jack clenched his hand into a fist. Hoover screamed in agony as the tendril holding his left wrist tightened and snapped his bones. Jack continued, "And now you gave me the weapon to ensure that."

The one on Hoover's right leg tightened and broke the bone as well. He cried out in pain. He begged for Jack to release him, "You will be sorry if you harm me any further. You can't protect them all."

"You know that isn't true," Jack made the one on his left leg clamp down. Hoover cried out again. Jack continued, "You know very well what the Nexus is capable of. You know I am now the most powerful mammal in Zootopia. No one can stop me, no one I love will be hurt every again."

The vice on Hoover's right arm clamped down and broke the bone like a twig. Hoover went slack giving up trying to fight the pain. He spat on the floor at Jack, "You will be sorry for this Savage. Francis will hunt you down. He will kill Nick, Judy. He doesn't care about killing the ZPD. He will fill the streets of Zootopia with all of them. Just to make you suffer. He will make you watch. Then he will kill you, slowly. If you think Vincent is bad, then Francis is your worst nightmare."

Jack just laughed. He looked Hoover dead in the eyes, "I already lived my worst nightmare. Francis won't get anyone. But you won't be around to see it."

Hoover didn't get a chance to speak as Jack charged up a large amount of electricity in his left arm. He fired right at Hoover's chest. It pushed the armadillo through the wall and into the street below. A large gaping hole let the cold air of the night in. Jack stepped to the edge and peered down. Hoover was still alive. His clothes were singed. His limbs broken. He was stuck in the middle of an empty street. The fire blazed behind Jack, casting a dark light upon him.

Hoover looked up to Jack, as did the bunny down to him. Jack yelled into the empty night, "How does it feel to be number twelve?"

Hoover cursed at Jack and spat into the snow covered street staining the white crimson. Blood creeped from the corner of his mouth. Jack simply smiled as he charged up another shot. This one stronger than the last. He aimed at his target and fired. A bolt of lightning arced from his arm and impacted Hoover square in the chest. Hoover gave one last gasp of pain before his body went limp. Jack peered down to see a hole burned straight through his chest. His lifeless eyes cast up to the star filled night.

Jack turned, but fell to the ground as electricity sparked from the Nexus. He screamed clutching it as arcs of lightning danced around the room. The bin was smacked by one and sent flying across the room. The floor and wall instantly ignited. Jack screamed as he was electrocuted. A ball of electricity had formed around him. And then detonated. The top of the building erupted into a fireball. The houses nearby lit up with the disturbance. Mammals rushed into the street and the building was consumed by flames. They all saw the dead body of an armadillo in the street. In the distance fire and police sirens rushed towards the area.


	6. Chapter 6: A Whole New World

**AN:** I do apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I had planned to release it a few days ago, but things got in the way.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **A Whole New World**

A blue spark of lightning quickly flashed in the middle of a small forest. This forest was surrounded by a large suburban development that had consumed the landscape. A full moon loomed overhead, its faint light blocked by the thick canopy of leaves. A second spark came to life and died as soon as it had formed. A wind picked up out of nowhere and carried the fallen leaves of the forest floor upwards. A ball of blue light formed amongst the trees, several feet above the ground. Lightning sparking randomly from it, singeing the plant life. It exploded releasing a massive shockwave of energy that washed over the area. Scaring any of the inhabitants of the forest, causing them to scurry away from the disturbance. The explosion left no mark on the forest as a figure dropped from the center of the sphere to the forest floor. The white rabbit groaned in pain from the unceremonious deposit.

Jack bolted right up and looked to his surroundings. This was not Tundratown. It wasn't the rainforest. He knew this was not Zootopia. He stood up, "Ness what the hell just happened?"

No response came. He lifted up his wrist to see the watch had changed. It had shrunk from its enlarged size and looked like a normal watch. The screen was black and the waves of energy weren't present. He asked, "What happened?"

"Low power, please recharge." That was all that came, this more monotone. It wasn't a conversation like Ness spoke up at the mountain. This was the basic computer of the Nexus requesting a task.

Jack looked around at the forest. The trees were like those in the meadowlands. The forested areas that surrounded the outskirts of the urban jungle of Zootopia. The trees rose high above him, creating a thick canopy high above. There was very little light, making it hard for Jack to see that far in front of him. He cursed his poor night vision. He tried his phone.

It did illuminate the area a decent amount, but his hopes fell when he saw he had no service nor internet connection. He swore stashing the phone away. He grabbed the burner he still held. It too had no signal. In rage he snapped the flip phone in two and chucked the broken device into the forest. He heard the plastic pieces clatter. He heard the glass screen shatter. His ears perked up when they picked up another sound.

The sound of a twig snapping. He turned around trying to find the source of the sound. Yet he couldn't see anything. Out the corner of his vision he saw a figure creep around the trunk of a tree. He turned to see a red fox in the faint light. This one was walking on fours. Lacked clothes. Its teeth were bared in a snarl. It gave a low growl as it inched towards Jack. Jack took a tentative step back. He did not like this situation.

This was not like Nick or any fox from Zootopia. This fox was feral and savage. He saw its eyes. They were glassy and black, no sign of intelligence. It leaped forward. Jack dove under the fox as it soared above him and landed behind him. The fox gave a snarl as it turned and bolted towards Jack. The rabbit grabbed a twig from the ground and slammed it into the fox's face. It yipped in pain, backing off. The stick shattered to pieces, Jack didn't waste a second before bolting away from the fox, wanting to put as much distance between him and the predator far faster than him. He heard a growl come from behind him; he knew that the fox had given chase.

His ears picked up on another noise. He could hear cars. His ears swiveled towards the sound and Jack followed. He heard the fox on his heels and he jumped to the side, narrowly missing a swipe of its paws. It did hit a tree and left a nice fresh gash in the bark. Jack picked himself up and ran again, towards the cars. Cars meant civilization, and help with the vulpine chasing him.

Ahead Jack saw the forest thinning out. He could barely make out an asphalt stretch of road beyond. He heard the fox had gained on him again. Jack saw a car wiz past and down the road, completely oblivious to the bunny trying to outrun its death. Putting his all into one final push he broke the dense canopy of the forest and rushed into the middle of a desolate street. On the opposite side rested a small building with a sign stating _Tutor Time_ in full display in front of it. Seeing it as a form of safety from the fox Jack headed towards it. He heard the fox exit the forest behind him. He dared a glance and saw it had stopped. It took a tentative step on the road, as if it was afraid of it.

Jack jumped up a hill that raised the building onto higher ground than the road. The fox saw Jack flee and forgot its fear and rushed after him again. Jack crossed a lawn of low cut grass towards an empty parking lot. The fox didn't struggle at all to climb the hill, but it did slow it down. Jack saw an entrance to the building, he tried the door made for mammals larger than him, yet it was locked. He figured as much. Not wanting to give the fox time to catch him, Jack ran across the lot towards a house beyond it. He heard the fox give another growl of annoyance. Jack spoke to it, "If you want me as food you are going to have to work for it buddy."

It just growled at the response and doubled its efforts to catch the white rabbit. Stepping off the asphalt Jack's feet met grass again. He spied a tipped over metal trash can at the end of the driveway. Trash was strewn about around it, as was the lid. Jack slid and dove for the lid. He looped his paw in the handle of the oversized shield and turn on the spot. The fox was right over him. He bashed the lid into the fox's face. It yipped in pain and back pedaled. Jack took a stance opposite the fox. It snarled and lowered its head. Its tail swished back and forth. Jack saw its back legs tensing, preparing to jump at him. Not wanting to give him the chance Jack moved first, he slipped his hand out of the handle. He grabbed the rim of the lid and slapped the fox across the face with it. It whimpered with the hit. Not giving him a chance to recover he brought the lid down and slammed the fox's face into the grass. It yelped as it turned tail. Jack smiled, "That's what I thought foxy!"

The fox gave no acknowledgement as it went back to the forest; there was food in there that was less of a challenge to capture than the clothed white rabbit. Jack tossed the lid back to the turned over can. As it nosily clattered another creature jumped from the bin. Jack looked to see a raccoon scurry away from him. It too was just like the fox, feral. It gave a hiss at the rabbit and ran away from it and up the street. Jack just stood still. He was worried.

He looked to the house he stood in front of. The lights inside were dark. He strode towards it. He spoke to himself as he neared, "If they are savage, then who built the house?"

"Please find power source." Jack stopped when he looked to the Nexus. He spied a telephone pole in front of the house towards where the raccoon went. He saw wires split from a different pole and towards the house. He figured one of them had to be a power line. He crossed the freshly cut lawn and turned around the side of the house. Here he saw an electric meter. He spoke to the Nexus, "How do I charge you?"

"Place hand on electrical device, power will be drawn automatically," a more Ness like voice said.

Jack figured he was safe so long as he had the Nexus. Before he touched the box he removed the watch and reattached it to his right hand. It felt more comfortable for him to have it there. He reached towards the box, still hesitant that he might get shocked. Getting out a deep breath he closed the gap and placed his hand on the electric meter. And nothing happened.

He was puzzled, but looked in awe as blue streams of energy emerged from the metal and towards his wrist. They were like wisps of mist in the wind, snaking their way towards his wrist. They made contact with the Nexus, which lit up instantly. And then the streams of electricity rushed into it. Jack felt his fur stand on end as more electricity was drawn from the source. He watched as the Nexus began to grow and shift in size. It returned to what it looked like when he first put it on and continued past that. The crystal like plates of it expanded outward, growing out of nowhere. It creeped down his arm forming what could be described as a gauntlet. It also expanded onto the back of his hand covering his paw.

A shock rang through Jack causing him to jump back. The wisps of energy slowly dissipated. The Nexus stopped glowing and returned to its state with the waves of energy moving across its entire surface. Ness then spoke, "It's good to be back Jack."

"What was that?" Jack asked standing up from the grass.

Ness answered Jacks question with another, "Do you know of the equation E equals M C squared?"

"Y-Yeah, everyone knows that one." Jack was confused with the randomness of the question.

"The Nexus' basic principle of operation is based on the equation." Ness explained. Jack didn't answer back. Ness took this as a means to continued, "The equation basically states that mass and energy are of the same thing. Two sides of the same coin. Mass can be seen as very very slow energy. And energy the reverse of matter. With this in mind the Nexus can take in energy and condense it down into a solid form for storage. This allows the ability for large reserves of storage for a small device. That is why I will shrink when energy is used and grow when it is stored. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yeah." Jack paused, "Is there a limit to your storage?"

"My limit is only the size of my controller. So for you I have a very small limit compared to the other inhabitants of Zootopia."

Jack gave a fake laugh at the statement. He checked around him, he was alone in the middle of the night with Ness. There would be no more disturbances like the fox…hopefully. He looked to the watch and asked, "So what exactly are you. I know you said back on the mountain, but now that we have the time I would like the whole spiel."

"Very well Jack," Ness responded without protest, "The Nexus has been a prototype for Summit since its inception. It is responsible for their formation as a company and creation of some of their more lucrative techs. It never reached a full model due to its inability to achieve its primary function."

"Primary, I thought it was to be a weapon?" Jack pondered.

"No, that was not the first goal with the Nexus' creation. It was designed with many functions in mind. It was to be a very versatile tool as well as weapon."

"Like the stuff you said on the mountain?"

"Yes. Those are its main weapon functions. Energy projection like beams and lightning. Levitation and matter manipulation. Construct creation like barriers and weapons. To say a few. Healing and neuro-connection were also sought for ease of use by user as well as field application. The energy storage was also applied for making a more portable device."

With Ness taking a pause Jack asked again, "What do you mean construct of weapons, you didn't say that on the mountain?"

"The construction creation ability was first created for creation of barriers for defensive purposes, but it was discovered that this ability could also be carried out to form rudimentary weapons. Like swords and other blades. Complicated moving weapons like guns were too intricate for any test, and weapons involving various chemicals like grenades and such were also impossible due to the fact the Nexus operated on energy and light manipulation and not matter creation."

"So what is your primary function?"

"It is what we did a few minutes ago; it is why I was low on energy. The primary focus draws most of the Nexus' stored energy. That is universal transportation."

"Universal what?"

"Transportation. The Nexus was first conceived on the idea of traveling between universes, through multiple realities."

"This all seems a bit too science fictiony."

"At first it seemed, but the many worlds theory does have it support in the scientific community."

"How so?" Jack questioned, expecting he wouldn't be able to follow the lecture he expected to follow. He always viewed himself as smart, more street than book. And this seemed like something far out of his forte.

Ness answered by lighting up and producing a hologram in front of Jack, of several blue bubbles. They floated in the air around him as Ness explained, "The best way to view it is like a series of bubbles you blow from a wand. You blow several at once not one. Each of these bubbles can be viewed as a separate reality. Each can be very similar, or very different. This all depends on how history played out in them. There could be one where I was never created. Or one where you never stole me. Another where you never killed Hoover and handed me over to him instead."

"I doubt that last one ever occurring," Jack added with a bit of annoyance.

The bubbles stopped moving and formed an ordered lattice. Ness continued, "The inside space of the bubble contains the reality it embodies. The wall is what protects the universe; this can be seen being as thick as several stars. It has to be very strong and thick. This is to protect it in the case of collisions."

To emphasize this two of the bubbles bounced together, but moved away without any visible damage to either. He continued, "It was hypothesized that if enough energy was focused on a single infinitesimal point on this wall it can be distorted."

The hologram shifted to two large bubbles. As he spoke the left one began to form a growth towards the right, "As this deformation progressed a neighboring reality would also deform," the bubbles demonstrated this process. They continued until the two bulges met and formed a bridge. Ness finished, "This would create a passage from one to the other, large enough for the bearer of the Nexus to pass through to a new reality. After through the energy focus would stop and the two realities would separate and return to normal as if it never happened. The only difference being an inhabitant of one is now in another. This is the primary function of the Nexus. And it was only a theory until today."

"Wouldn't it make more sense that we time traveled?" Jack countered after Ness' speech, "It does seem like we did, the fact that that fox and raccoon were both feral. They were unevolved, just like we were many years ago before predators and prey evolved to the society that we are in Zootopia."

"The counter to that," Ness asked, "If this is indeed time travel and all sentient animals are savage; then who build the house?"

The bubble hologram changed to a hand pointing right at the building Jack stood on the side of. The hologram faded as Jack realized he didn't have an answer for that question. It did make him fear what Ness just said was right. But he was also very afraid of who built the house. If he was the only intelligent animal, then who could have built it?

Wanting an answer to Ness' question Jack strode from the side of the house to the front. As he walked around the large assortment of bushes that blocked the front door he asked, "Why can't time travel be a thing. What if we went forward instead of back? Like we devolved to savages again and these are the ruins of what we built."

"Then what about the fact that there is still power and the cars we heard earlier?" Ness countered with another question. Jack didn't respond back seeing no way to further his side.

Jack stopped and looked at the front of the house. The door was hidden behind a screen one. A two car garage was off to the right, the driveway empty. The trash can was still on its side with the trash strewn about. The raccoon had not showed any sign of returning to its meal. The left half of the house was made of brick, while the right was made of white siding. All the windows were dark and closed. Jack hopped up the few steps to the door as he asked, "How is universal travel even possible?"

"It was mostly a theory, but it was built upon the fact that space can be easily manipulated. Far more than time could."

Jack looked to the handle to the screen door that loomed above. He jumped and grabbed hold of it. He slipped his paw through the small gap he opened in the door. He landed and pushed it aside. As he did he asked, "How is that so?"

"Space has been observed to be distorted by almost anything. Black holes are the most notable. Stars distort it as well. Even the Earth distorts space, only a little, but it does. Time on the other hand has only been observed to distort around black holes."

Jack jumped into the gap between the screen and the white painted wooden door. He let the screen lazily close behind him as he looked to the black painted knob to the real door. Ness continued, "With that information in mind the Nexus was made to distort space in such a way to break reality into another one."

"How did they even conceive the creation of it?" Jack asked as he was enclosed by the screen.

"Not sure," Ness answered as Jack jumped up and grabbed the knob. He held onto it, suspending himself above the ground. "I do not have the documentation on it stored in my memory. But it was the founder of Summit; Ajax Yax, who is credited with my creation."

Jack tried the knob, but it didn't budge. He cursed, "It's locked."

"I can unlock it." Ness stated.

"How?"

"Just focus the Nexus' energy on the lock, not too much. We don't want to melt the thing. You can simulate a key in the mechanism."

Following his direction Jack supported himself by his left paw and legs, pointing his right hand at the keyhole. A tendril of energy extended from his finger and into the mechanism. He heard the small tumblers inside move to the intrusion. He twisted his hand listening to the mechanism responding to his probing. It took a few seconds and multiple turns of his hand left and right, but the lock became undone. With a smile Jack jumped from the knob and landed softly. He pushed the door open into the dark house, the hinges giving no protest except a small squeak. The room inside was made for a mammal far larger than him. The furniture in the room loomed over him; the ceiling was high above it. He felt like he was a massive cavern room they show on tourist brochures of exotic places.

The only source of light allowing him to observe the room was the faint blue light of the moon coming through the door behind him. The floor inside was made of laminated wood, well-kept after. It showed very little signs of wear. The door closed behind him, cutting off his only source of light. In response, sensing his wish, the Nexus lit up to illuminate the area around him. Jack found himself in some sort of sitting room. He walked to the center to get a better look at the place.

There were two couches off to his left, and a flat screen TV along the far wall. A bay window lit this area up showing a rug as well. On the other side he saw two sets of stairs in the darkness. One went up, the other down. A few tables dressed with fake and real plants. As well as picture frames dotted this side. Around a corner Jack spied a long table with chairs for eight around it. There was an archway that opened to a tiled room, Jack guessed a kitchen. He was pulled from his observations when he heard a door open, and footsteps coming from the upstairs. Running fast Jack dove under one of the couches, the light of the Nexus dying as he ran. He laid against the coarse rug, it made his fur itch.

The lights in the room turned on with the flick of a switch and Jack watched a two legged creature descent the steps into the room he was in. He only spied the feet as they touched down, they were strange. They were pink and furless. He saw the ends of pajama pants as well; daring Jack scooted forward to get a better look at the creature. As he moved quietly the creature spoke in a male voice, "Whoever you are come out right now. I already called the cops they will be here soon."

At the edge of the shadow created by the couch Jack got a good look at the strange beast before him. It was not like any mammal he ever saw before. It was clothed in a shirt as well as pants. Its paws were hairless like its feet. It held a wooden bat with designs Jack couldn't make out in its right paw. Its face was flat, and atop it was the only hint of short cut black hair. It spoke again, Jack spied sharp teeth in its mouth, "I will find you. You can't hide," it walked towards the center of the room.

Jack held his breath as it neared him. It spoke, "Nothing can help you now, you chose the wrong house to break into buddy."

To emphasize this, the mammal slapped the bat into its other paw. Jack scooted away from the edge. Jack was not sure how to fight this one. He saw no claws, they seemed clipped, but he didn't know what tricks this mammal had. Like a skunk's spray, cheetah like reflexes, or rabbit like hearing. But if it had any why would it need a weapon?

Realizing this Jack moved to the other end of the couch as the mammal walked away and towards the staircases. It spoke, "I know you are still here."

Charging up a ball of energy in his paw Jack removed himself from underneath the couch, but stayed behind it out of sight of the creature. It began to descend the stairs, and Jack took this as his opportunity to escape unseen. He rushed to the kitchen, half bathed in light from the other room. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he ducked behind an island counter. The creature seemed to have detected Jack's motions and quickly rushed up the stairs. Jack saw its shadow loom in the archway, the bat lazily at its side. The sound of police sirens sprung up in the distance. The creature warned, "Come out, I may not be the one to find you, but the cops will shoot you. A bat is better than a bullet."

Bullet! Lethal force, the creature gave no hint of tranqs being an option. One bullet anywhere would surely kill him. Jack inched his way around the counter. He then spied and escape route, a glass back door. Jack looked to his paw where the ball of energy continued to spark. Guessing it was charged enough he launched it upwards and dove to the ground. He heard the creature ponder what just appeared before it detonated. It released a large pulse of energy, knocking the creature to the floor and taking out the lights in the room.

Not wasting a moment Jack sprung to his feet and ran straight for the door. He tucked himself into a ball as he crashed through it. Picking himself off the cobbled patio and broken glass he rushed into the trees behind the house. The overgrowth wasn't as thick as the forest before so he pushed up the hill and into the backyard of the next house over. The first thing he saw was a large swimming pool dominated most of the yard.

Jack heard the sirens finally arrive at the house he just left. The creature didn't give him chase, and must have gone to get the officers. They would mostly definitely head straight towards him. Jack stepped off to the side and behind a tree. Going on a hunch he figured the police would be looking for a creature just like it, and not a rabbit in a turtleneck. Settling in Jack looked to the Nexus and asked, "So the theory about other worlds is correct yes?"

"With the introduction of such a strange animal yes." Ness answered.

"I think I had enough adventure for today," Jack sighed, "Can we just head home?"

Ness didn't answer right away. He hesitated before answering, "N-No."

"No?" Jack asked wanting a better answer.

"I'm afraid that complications in the matter arise with the fact that the Nexus is still a prototype."

"And?"

"And the fact that it was never able to achieve its primary function while in the possession of Summit. Thus protocols and programming linked to this operation were never fully flushed out. This includes the ability to know where you came from or went."

"In other words?"

"I don't know how to send you to your home. If we jump we will end up in another reality. There is no guarantee it will be the one you came from."

"Well that's just bloody perfect!" Jack stood up from his spot, "So I have no hope of ever going back!"

"At this current time no. I'm sorry Jack."

"Sorry doesn't even come close. I killed Hoover with all intentions of killing whomever that Francis guy he was talking about. Even stopping Vincent if I had to. Now I can't and Judy, Nick, and everyone else will pay for that!"

"I wish there is more I can do Jack."

Letting out a heavy breath Jack sat back down next to the tree. He rubbed his eyes with a paw as he asked, "If we jump is there a possibility that we can go back to home?"

"There's about a ten percent chance that we can."

"What about multiple jumps?"

"Then that's more like a zero percent chance."

"It's not like I got much of a choice," Jack admitted as he heard the sounds of multiple footsteps heading his way. He stood up and asked, "Ready to jump?"

"When you are Jack."

Seeing no objection, and no need to stay, Jack channeled energy into the Nexus just like he did back in Tundratown. Lightning arched around him, singeing the tree and grass around him. He heard someone shout, "I've got something over here."

Not wasting time Jack released the energy and it formed a ball around him. It exploded shattering the trunk of the tree to timber sending it falling. The police that were heading in his direction were blasted off their feet and down the small hill. The grass around the area was burned in a spiral pattern. The surrounding trees were set on fire. More sirens rose in the distance and headed to the explosion.


	7. Chapter 7: My Zootopia?

**AN:** I won't go into much detail, but due to some family business, chapters may not be coming out as frequent in the next few weeks. I hope you all understand and stick with this story during this time. I plan to get back on my regular schedule afterwards.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **My Zootopia?**

An unmarked police car sat in a dark alley shadowed by two apartment buildings. Two officers sat in the car and watched the building across the street from them. One was a rabbit, the other a fox. Judy Hopps gave a groan in annoyance, "How long have we've been sitting here?"

She slammed her head into the dashboard of the car, her ears laying on the surface. Nick Wilde, who sat in the driver's seat, gave a chuckle, "Nearly four hours Carrots, and probably more if Earnest doesn't make an appearance."

He lifted the binoculars he was holding back up to his eyes and peered at the apartment that the tiger they were after currently was inside. Nick had good night vision, but the binoculars helped distinguish heat signatures. Something he couldn't do. Judy just gave another groan. Not looking to her he spoke, "You wanted to do a stakeout. You practically begged Buffalo Butt for one."

"Yeah," Judy picked her face up and looked to her partner, "but I didn't think this one would take that long."

"It's a stakeout, Fluff," Nick looked to the gray bunny next to him.

"Yes," she stated knowing full and well what the word meant, "but I did read up on Earnest, and he usually doesn't stay in one place for that long. That's why I thought we would be done sooner."

"Then maybe he knows we're here," Nick added looking back to the target.

"Then we would have already been captured by his goons if that were the case," Judy stated looking to the building across the street. Her poor night eye sight hindering her greatly from getting a good look. Not wanting the silence to fill the void again she asked, "Any movement?"

"Nothing yet." Nick answered still using the binoculars.

Wanting to return to a casual conversation Judy spoke up, "You saw that thing with Ben today right?"

"What?" Nick looked to Judy, "The thing in the office today?"

"Yeah." Judy affirmed, "Do you think he's gay?"

"Think?" Nick turned back, "As much as I think the sky is blue."

"Come on, be serious Nick."

"What's there to talk about, if he is he is. Nothing wrong with that. Why so curious, were you thinking of asking him out?"

"N-No!"

"Then why?" He glanced at her.

Judy gripped her ears in her paws and played with them slightly, "I just wanted to be sure I wasn't the only one that thought it."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Nick shrugged, "Anyone would be grateful to be in a relationship with that cheetah."

A streetlight across the road erupted in a shower of broken glass, the light dying instantly. Judy perked an eyebrow up, "You saw that right."

"Yep."

Nick set the binoculars on the console as the building across from them lit up with activity. Every single light on all three of the floors turned on all at once. Taking action first Nick exited the car. Judy shouted in shock, "What are you doing?!"

The red fox looked back to her, "Just call in the back-up. Say Earnest is on the move."

As Nick turned back to face the building the lights on the top floor lit up like a lighthouse, the other lights dimmed. A shockwave detonated from within the building. Shattering every window in the building. The buildings nearby took damage as well, cracked windows and superficial cracks on the masonry. The windshield of their car shattered. Judy jumped back with a yelp of surprise. The lights had died as soon as the shockwave blasted. Not wasting a second, Nick rushed across the silent street and to the front entrance.

With a huff of annoyance Judy grabbed the radio, pressing the button she spoke, "This is Officer Hopps and Wilde. An incident just occurred at four four two Rivera Drive. We need immediate response. Earnest Tyger detonated some sort of explosion. He may be trying to escape. Repeat, need immediate response."

Not waiting for Clawhauser to respond and relay the message Judy jumped from the car and hopped across the street. Joining Nick at the front entrance, tranq guns raised and ready to fire. Not wasting any more time they rushed in.

…

Jack felt cold concrete ground as his senses started to return to him. The blinding light and numbing hum subsided and he got to his knees. He inspected the new world he found himself in. He was in a building, one that looked to be in the middle of construction. Metal beams were erected in patterns marking off rooms, yet no drywall had been put up. The floor was still the poured concrete; it looked only a few months old. The windows had the remains of glass in them, freshly broken out. Even a few of the metal beams around him were bent away from where Jack knelt. He saw faint hints of the beams being superheated. He stood up and saw a burned spiral in the floor around him. He spoke, "Successful jump Ness?"

"Yes Jack. Energy levels have been reduced, but still functional. I would advise finding a power source just to replenish the reserves."

Jack looked to see that the Nexus had shrunk. The portion on his hand had disappeared and the gauntlet receded slightly. It still pulsed with energy. Jack's ears picked up on movement across the floor. He saw a body on the floor stir, a tiger pushed themselves off the floor, "Who the hell did that?"

The male tiger got to his knees and scanned the floor. He was wearing black dress pants and a maroon button down shirt. His yellow eyes landed right on Jack, whose white fur stood out like a sore thumb in the half-light filtering the broken windows. The tiger snarled as he stood up, "You are going to make a nice snack bunny."

Jack backed up in pace with the tiger as he moved closer and closer. His back hit one of the metal beams. The tiger smiled and leaped, charging on all fours at Jack. Balling his paws into fist the Nexus formed several crystal shards, the sound of snapping glass filled the room, and reformed. It coated his entire arm with hard blue glass. As the tiger closed the gap Jack swung with his right arm making contact square on the tiger's open maw.

Another shockwave blasted from the impact, cracking the concrete floor and sending several of the nearby metal beams out of their bolts. The tiger was sent flying backwards. His body rolled as it smashed through several of the beams, bringing them crashing down. His momentum was finally stopped by the wall on the other side of the room. His body was depressed into the wall. There were also a few craters on the floor where his body had impacted it at high speed. Jack saw the tiger go limp. Fearing he had killed him Jack rushed over. The crystal gauntlet disappeared as he hopped up into the tiger's lap. He reached up and placed a finger on his neck. He felt a pulse. Jacks sighed with relief and stepped down. His ears picked up on another sound. More footsteps, perhaps more goons like the tiger.

Jack spied the staircase leading down not that far away. He ducked behind one of the still standing beams. It was wide enough to hide his small frame. He watched from the edge as a fox entered the floor. Not just any fox, Jack knew this red fox from any other. It was Nick. Jack went to move, but stopped when he saw someone else join the fox. Jack felt his heart stop upon the sight of the other officer. His breath caught in his throat, and his legs felt weak. Standing right behind Nick was a mammal he did not want to face. A face he would never forget. Amethyst orbs filled with sadness and fear flashed in front of him. It was Judy Hopps.

Jack never knew she became an officer; he thought the injury he left her with would have prevented any such career like that. It hurt him to do that, he crushed her lifelong dream of being an officer in less than a minute all those years ago. The old Jack wouldn't have given a second thought to doing it again, but it burned this Jack from the inside. He despised his old self; he never wanted to face the ghosts of his past. And right now he saw the biggest one.

Nick broke the silence that seemed to have lasted years to Jack, "Earnest Tyger, this is the ZPD you are under arrest."

Jack looked to the unconscious tiger he just planted into the wall. Not wanting to expose himself to Judy or Nick, who he was happy see both still alive. Perhaps Vincent and Francis hadn't gotten word of his killing of Hoover yet. But he also wondered how much time had passed since he jumped to the other world. Judy was an officer now. He heard her speak; her voice was like knives to his ears, "Nick over there."

Jack heard the two of them walk towards him and Earnest. Jack knew he would be hidden from them if he stayed put. He pressed himself against the beam, his ears standing straight up to hide behind the pillar. He kept his breathing low to not make that much noise. He saw the two of them approach the tiger. Judy spoke, "Looks like whatever he detonated backfired on him."

Jack noticed one thing about Judy, she didn't have a limp. He knew very well that he cut her right leg good enough to give her a permanent limp. Now she showed no sign of the injury. Nick spoke up, "I don't think it was the explosion that did this Carrots."

"Why's that?"

Nick sniffed the air, "Because there's someone else up here."

Nick spun around with his gun primed to fire. Judy looked around, her gun still pointed to the ground. Nick's sense of smell was far better than hers. She asked, "Got a scent?"

"Bunny." Nick answered. Judy rolled her eyes and gestured to herself. Nick corrected, "A buck."

Nick stepped forward and Judy followed right behind, her weapon raised.

Jack listened as the two officers neared him. He wasn't quite sure what Wilde would do if he saw it was him. But he was very afraid of what Judy would do, there is no way she would forget his face. He needed to leave now, but he needed to avoid their guns. Going for the stairs would be a death sentence, even if he could get there he still would have more floors to go down. Nick and Judy were taking their time, checking behind each of the metal beams that were still standing. Jack was smack dab in the middle of the undivided room, but he saw one option that could prevent them from giving him chase, the window. There were many options; all of them were broken open so there was no threat of glass.

He felt the presence of Nick right over his shoulder, not daring to wait Jack sprung from his hiding spot. The fox ordered, "Freeze."

A demand that Jack refused to follow as he closed the distance to the window. Nick raised his gun, "Freeze or I will shoot."

Still Jack ignored the request. Judy took the initiative and bolted after Jack. Nick fired. Jumping up and onto the ledge of the window Jack dodged the dart. He teetered on the edge, being mindful of the broken glass still in the frame. Judy was closing the gap as Nick aimed for another shot. Giving a quick salute Jack stepped over the edge, the dart flying just over the tips of his ears. Reaching out with his right hand, now coated in crystals, he grabbed the side of the building. Sparks flew as he slid down the side. Judy now perched on the window sill, "Stop, you are only making this worse for yourself."

She took aim, but Jack acted fast. He pushed off the wall with his legs and fell the rest of the distance. Bringing his crystaled fist to the floor a small boom greeted his superhero landing, the sideway cracking around him. Jack stood up in the small crater he created completely injury free thanks to the Nexus' healing properties. He did feel a bit warmer as he spied a lose dart on the ground next to him. Four long lines had been gouged into the side of the building leading away from the third floor. In the window he saw Judy already aiming her gun for another shot. Jack spoke, "Sorry Hopps, but I have to be somewhere else."

She fired another shot, Jack brought his arm up and a blue barrier formed in front of him. The dart harmlessly bounced off the shield and to the ground littered with broken glass. Seeing this as his time to leave Jack began to run down the street away from the bunny and fox. Nick joined Judy at the window as he asked, "You did call for backup right?"

"Yeah, Clawhauser should have dispatched someone here already." Judy answered. To confirm her statement she could hear the sound of police sirens on the horizon. She looked down the street to the fleeing buck; there was no way their tranq darts would reach him now. She looked out the window to see no possible way for her to get down like the rabbit did. He was sporting some strange type of tech. The fact he was able to produce a wall in front of him and survive a fall like that was evident. She stepped down from the window and rushed to the stairs, Nick following right behind.

She feared that the white rabbit would slip away before backup could arrive. And if he had any connection to Earnest then this whole stakeout would have been a bust. Yeah they got Earnest, but not his partner. Judy stopped at the top of the stairs; Nick narrowly missed falling down the steps. He looked to Judy, "Why are you stopping we have to get that guy."

Judy spied the unconscious Earnest across the floor, "I'm faster than you."

"And?" Nick asked before he saw where Judy was looking, "Go get him Carrots."

Nick moved away from the steps and rushed towards the tiger. Not wanting to give the rabbit anymore of a lead Judy rushed down the stairs.

After passing several alleys he could have turned down Jack hopped down one of them. He chose not to turn down the first one he saw. He needed to put as much distance between him and Judy at the moment. He stepped to the side and behind a green dumpster. He rested, trying to bring his breathing and heart rate down. His ears picked up on the sound of encroaching police sirens. The area would soon be blocked off, he needed to move soon. Or maybe disappear.

Sensing his intentions Ness spoke up, "I really suggest you not jump anymore Jack."

"Why not? This obviously isn't my home. Judy isn't injured. This is not my Zootopia."

"That may be the case, but there are the dangers of jumping again. As I said before if we jump again we may never have another chance to return to your Zootopia. Random jumping lowers our odds exponentially. It would be best if we stay here for the time being."

"Why would it be best, the ZPD are going to hunt me down?"

"But you don't have a record here Jack. You might not even exist in this reality, evident by the unscathed Judy."

Jack didn't respond pondering the possibility. Ness continued, "I know I said that I lack the information on mapping the realities we jump to. Neither do I have a way to track where we come from or go. But since we have jumped twice already, I think I have a way to do so."

"Really?"

"I'm already running some calculations. It may take some time, but I believe I can work out a way to find your Zootopia and send you back there. I just ask that we stay here for that duration. At least this world is like your own and not like the one we just came from."

"Ok," Jack stood up and called off the energy he had been channeling into his palm. As he stepped out from behind the dumpster he heard footfalls coming down the street. He ducked back behind, trying to not make a sound. Peering over the edge he didn't see anyone, but he did heard a voice, "I know you are out here buddy," it was Judy.

Jack tensed up as he saw her appear in the entrance of the alleyway. Her gun was raised, primed and ready to fire. Jack remained still as Judy stood on the edge of the passage. She did not enter, yet she blocked his only real exit. The alley didn't open to another path until further down. A distance Judy could easily shoot him at before he could escape. He elected to stay where he was, hoping she would pass him by, allowing him to escape. No such luck seemed to be on his side as a police cruiser stopped in the middle of the road right behind Judy. She turned to see two wolves pile out. Jack recognized them instantly, Evan and Richard.

Richard stood by the car while Evan walked up to Judy, "What do we got?"

"Nick has Earnest, but there was a white rabbit with him. He got away-"

"Call in a perimeter setup," Evan barked back to Richard.

Not caring about the interruption Judy continued, "I lost him, but he is on foot. He is armed with some sort of weapon, I haven't seen him fire but he can counter and block tranq darts."

"He shouldn't be far," Evan spoke as he entered the alley. He pulled his gun out aiming down the long stretch of cobblestone, "Do you think he went down this one?"

Judy followed the wolf with her gun raised, "I heard a small noise from here, I expect he is."

Jack tensed up as he heard the two officers step closer and closer to him. They would see him no doubt; he would have to fight them to escape. He did not want to end up in the paws of this ZPD. He felt they were only hunting him down because of whoever that tiger was back there. He braced himself against the wall of the alley as he heard them enclose on his hiding spot. He saw their faint shadows appear around the corner of the dumpster. Pressing his legs into the wall he fired off of it towards the other one. He turned and angled himself midflight and bounced off the wall at the last second before he would cause injury. With his momentum conserved he fired himself like a bullet into the gut of the wolf, taking him to the floor. Jack didn't waste a second as he ran down the alleyway towards the cruiser and the other wolf. Hopps shouted behind him, "Stop right now!"

She aimed and fired another shot. Jack produced another wall behind him that stopped the dart. Richard struggled to pull his gun out. Jack jumped up and closed the distance to the car, landing on the hood. He slammed his feet into the wolf knocking him to the floor as well. Judy rushed forward and performed a similar maneuver over the car and landed right next to Jack. She raised her gun, ready to fire a dart, "There's no place for you to run buddy."

Jack turned and faced the face he hadn't seen in years. His smile wavered, "Really Judy, you don't know who you are dealing with."

She fired, but the dart never hit Jack. Judy stared in awe as Jack's crystal coated fist was presented in front of her. His smile returned as he opened his hand, a shower of glass dust and tranq fluid fell to the floor. Judy stepped back shaken by the reaction speed and power of the rabbit it front of her. Jack spoke, "I don't want to hurt you Hopps, but I can't let you take me-"

Jack stopped as he felt a pin prink on his right shoulder. He looked down to see a dart imbedded in his flesh. He already felt the numbing effects of the dart take hold. Looking down the street Jack saw Nick lower his tranq gun. Jack looked back to Judy, "That's the second time he got me."

Jack fell to the floor as his body lost consciousness. Nick rushed over to Judy as Richards began to pick himself off the floor. Evan let out a groan from the alley as he too started to get up. As Nick got closer he asked, "You ok Carrots?"

"Yeah I-I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Nick asked stowing his weapon away. He saw the expression on her face, "Something's worrying you."

Judy looked to him, "It's just the rabbit."

"What about him?" Nick asked looking to the comatose white rabbit next to them.

Judy didn't answer. She looked to Jack, and then back to Nick, "Something just feels...off about him."

Nick quickly responded with a shrug, "Let's get him back to Central. See if we can find a reason why."


	8. Chapter 8: Confession

**AN:** I do apologize for the hiatus of this story. But I have not yet fully recovered the drive to write. Chapters may still be delayed, but I will NOT forget about this story. I want to finish it. And I want you all to enjoy it. The hiatus may continue for some time, but I will try to release chapters a bit more frequently than a gap like the one between this chapter and the last.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Confession**

Jack awoke with a start, but he was met with immediate restriction in his movements. Looking down he saw a pair of handcuffs done around his wrists and attached to the metal chair he was sitting on. There was a metal table in front of him. The cuffs should have been attached to the table, but being of his smaller stature this would be impossible to keep him seated and secured to it. The chair and table were far larger than him, made for animals usually arrested by the ZPD. Bunnies of which were not typically on that list.

Jack also noticed a lack of something on his body. He was still dressed in his clothes; they had not put an orange jumpsuit on him…yet. But as he feared there was the lack of the Nexus. There was no sign of it. The cops probably have it in their possession. Locked away in a locker, with no idea what it is other than some strange looking watch.

He looked to the room to find no discernable extrinsic features. It was a standard interrogation room. The floor was unpainted concrete. The walls were a pale yellow, showing a few chips in made by claw marks and other dents. The ceiling made of collapsible tiles. Jack could have sworn he saw signs of pencils once being tossed and imbedded into the soft white material. There was a door to his left, no doubt locked. And right across from him a mirror was set into the wall. A false mirror. He wondered which animals stood on the other side. They were probably stirring as they discussed who would take first crack at him. Would it be the good cop or the bad cop? Maybe Judy? He figured Bogo was back there as well. The sound of the door unlocking pulled him from his thoughts. His ears perked and he watched as the door opened. Passing through the small gap made was Judy and Nick. Jack tensed up. He figured it would be these two, Judy was the one he didn't want to see right now.

Judy hopped into the chair right across the table from Jack. Nick leaned against the corner of the room, his back to the wall with the mirror. Jack saw what looked like a popsicle stick jutting from the fox's maw. Judy coughed to get Jacks attention. He turned to the gray rabbit and put on a fake smiled, "Nice to see you Hopps."

"And why is that?" Judy asked.

"I was hoping that it would be some other officer that was going to interrogate me."

"Why," Judy raised an eyebrow, "You don't like me."

"You don't know the half of it Hopps." Jack did not want to tell Judy what he did to her counterpart in his world. If he feared the real Judy's reaction, then one not injured by him that was a trained officer would certainly be far worse.

"Then why don't you tell me the whole story." Judy pressured wanting information.

"I would," Jack jingled the chain of the handcuffs, "But I'm afraid you don't have a couple days for me to explain it all to you Judy."

Smiling Judy suggested, "Why don't you start with your name then."

"Why?" Jack asked with another question. He knew why she wanted to know, "My name doesn't come up in any database?"

Judy was taken aback by his quick deduction. Jack read it clearly on her face. He smiled, "It's Savage, Jack Savage."

"Savage seems like a fake name," Nick finally chimed in.

"So you're going to be the bad cop Nicky?" Jack asked looking to the fox.

"No one calls me Nicky-"

"Except your mother," Jack cut him off.

Nick shared a similar expression to the one Judy had a few seconds ago. Jack knew the line from his Nick. Jack continued, "It is my birth name, but you won't find me in your database anywhere."

"And how do you know this?" Judy asked.

"If I told you the truth you would probably lock me up in an insane asylum."

"Humor me." Judy continued with the interrogation.

"Where is my watch?"

"It is, and probably will remain in our possession."

"Well that watch is the key to reason I am here right now."

"No it isn't" Nick chimed in stepping away from the wall. He took the popsicle stick out of his mouth and tossed it to the side of the room. Dust clinging to the part wet with his saliva and red residue of whatever was on it. Nick continued, "The reason you are here right now is because of what you did to Earnest Tyger. As well as running from and assaulting ZPD officers."

"I have no business with that tiger," Jack commented.

"Figured as much." Nick stated, "Why else would you have knocked him across the room? You can't be working for him."

"But there is the case of why you ran, and then attacked us." Judy added.

"That's simple," Jack answered, "You." He picked up his cuffed paws and pointed with both of his fingers right at Judy.

"Me?" Judy felt she was getting nowhere with this rabbit.

"Yes, well…" Jack bobbed his head back and forth, "Not specifically you Officer Hopps, but another Judy Hopps just like you. One that dreamed of being an officer, yet never did."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the other Judy Hopps from Bunnyburrow, the one that I ruined the life of."

"I don't remember there being another other bunny by the same name in the burrow, neither you Mister Savage."

"Well for one, I was never born in the burrows. Second is the reason I am here Judy. The other Judy doesn't exist here. Neither do I. That is what makes my watch special officers. It brought me here."

Without saying a word Nick moved and tapped on the door. It unlocked allowing him to pass through. Judy stepped down from the chair and walked to the door. Jack smiled, "I told you you'd think I was insane."

The door closed and locked behind them. Jack watched the door, knowing that they would return very soon.

Outside Judy and Nick stood in front of the door. Bogo towered over them as he spoke, "We ran the name Savage and came up with only one hit." He handed a single sheet of paper to Judy. Bogo continued, "Maybe a relative? I don't like this rabbit. Watch yourselves in there."

"Will do chief," Nick assured as they stepped back in.

They resumed their positions. Judy placed the paper on the table and slid it over to Jack. He looked down at the paper, instantly recognizing the name and picture. He spat on the paper, "The bitch still lives."

"Then you know her?" Judy asked.

"I wish I didn't but the bitch is my mother."

"Not possible," Nick countered.

Jack was the confused one this time. Judy explained, "She only has two children, neither of them named Jack. One's a girl."

"That drug addicted bitch sold me off into animal trafficking when I was five just to get enough cash for her fix," Jack spoke with venom. It wasn't the first time he told this story to Nick, his Nick anyway.

"Miss Savage is not a drug addict." Judy tried to correct.

Jack just laughed, "Maybe not this one, but mine is."

"What is with all of this mine and yours you are talking about?" Nick seemed to be losing his patience.

Jack smiled, "That is what I was talking about my watch. If you would kindly bring it in here I can show you exactly what I am talking about."

"How 'bout you talk without it," Judy countered, "Because you know very well that, that weapon will not get anywhere near you."

"It is not a weapon," Jack tried to explain.

Nick would have none of it, "Then explain what happened last night."

Jack sighed, "Yes it can act as a weapon, but I never used it as that against the ZPD. I only used it in self-defense to ensure that I wasn't capture. A whole lot that did for me," Jack brought his arms onto the table and rested his head in his paws.

"What is it?" Judy asked.

"It is called the Nexus. It is a special device that allows one to traverse to other realities."

"Other realities?" Nick asked for clarification.

"This is where I'm going to sound insane."

"I think we're past that point." Judy noted.

Jack paid no heed as he continued, "The Nexus is a device that can channel energy into itself for storage. Large amounts of it. This can be used for various applications. Some of them you saw last night. The others include some combat abilities as well as other defensive ones. The main focus of it is to allow the wearing the ability to break the barrier of one reality to cross over to another." He paused, "Don't believe me if you do. But just one question to leave off on. If you truly don't know of me; then how do I know of you Nicholas Piberius Wilde and Judith Laverne Hopps?"

Judy and Nick exchanged a glance between each other. This was interrupted by a voice being broadcast over an intercom into the room, "Wilde, Hopps, out now!"

Not wasting a second the two officers removed themselves from the room and back into the hall. As they left Jack smugly spoke aloud, "Hi Bogo!"

Judy and Nick exited, as did Bogo from the connecting room behind the false mirror. He looked to the two of them and asked, "You can't interview this guy any longer."

"Why chief?" Judy asked in surprise.

"He knows you two. He's playing games because he knows you. I want someone else to interrogate him."

"You can't be serious," Nick chimed in.

"I am, and the decision is final," Bogo crossed his arms to state that he would not budge from his choice, "I already called Xavier in."

"But this is our case," Judy protested, "You can't take us off of it."

"You are not off the case Hopps. This is still going to be your case. I just want someone else to interrogate. Someone he does not know, hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Nick asked not comforted.

"Hopefully is right," someone addressed the three from behind. Nick and Judy turned to see Officer Xavier, a giant panda. He looked to the bunny and fox, "Hopps, Wilde."

"Xavier," the two said in unison. Xavier looked to Bogo and asked, "He's still in there?"

"He's all yours." Bogo said as he ushered Judy and Nick with him into the false mirror room. Richard was also in there. Judy hopped onto a table near the window so she could look through. Nick took a chair to see. Richards and Bogo remained standing. They looked through the glass window as the door opened and the panda walked in. Jack perked up at the new guest, "Well it would seem that Bogo is playing the switcheroo game with me now." Jack looked to the mirror, "It won't work Bogo. I'm telling the truth. Hopps and Wilde already got it."

Xavier sat in the chair and stared Jack down, "You will talk to me and only me Mister Savage."

"Fine, Xavier." Jack said calmly. Every other mammal present stiffed at the statement of the name. Xavier asked "How do you know my name?"

Jack sighed looking down at his paws. He played with the chain as he spoke, "I went out to coffee once or twice with my Xavier, you look just like him. Except he has a mark just under his right eye."

Jack rubbed the area in question. He looked at Xavier, "There is not an officer in this building I can't name. Clawhauser, Hopps, Wilde, Bogo, McHorn, Lavender, Fuchsia, Evan, Richard, Wolford, Francine, Mable, Fangmeyer, Xavier, Rooks," he paused with a shrug of his shoulders, "Shall I go on?"

"No, that is enough," Xavier composed himself, "Let's continue."

"It's your floor panda," Jack gave a wave of his paw.

"Where did you get the Nexus?" Xavier wasted no time.

"I stole it."

"From whom?"

"A company called Summit Enterprises."

"Never heard of them."

"They probably don't exist here."

"And where do you come from."

"A different Zootopia."

"There is only one Zootopia."

"As did I think before yesterday."

"And what happened yesterday?"

"I stole the Nexus and killed the mammal blackmailing me."

That statement derailed Xavier's spitfire questions. "Killed?"

"Blackmail?" Judy asked the room.

"This guy is creating a laundry list of offenses against him," Nick stated.

Richards threw his two cents in, "But why would he just openly admit it? Murder would surely get him a sentence behind bars."

Bogo shushed the room as Jack spoke, "Yes. He threatened me and those I cared about, so I did the only thing that would stop him. I had plans to stop his boss, but that stopped when I jumped realities."

"And what exactly was this blackmail?"

Jack looked away from the panda and to the window. Judy felt as if he was starring right at her. A shiver crawled down her spine. Jack smiled bigger than he did the entire interrogation. He knew very well what would happen with what he was about to say, but he didn't care at this point. Because he knew how to get himself out of this. If it was true that he didn't exist in this world he was in the clear. He sighed, "The fact that I killed eleven other mammals."

The calm demeanor that Jack had said the statement scared Judy. As did it Richards and Nick. Bogo remained the pillar of stone as he always did. Xavier tried to cover the shock, but it did peak threw, and Jack noticed. Judy didn't like this rabbit one bit. He was a murder, he just confessed to twelve of them as if it was no big deal. Xavier asked, "You do realize that this can be taken as a confession?"

"Yes, yes I do." Jack looked back to Xavier, "But how 'bout I do you another favor and tell you the names of all who I killed."

"Why would you? Nothing would lessen the sentence you would receive."

Jack laughed. The fact he was still calm and happy all while talking about killing made Judy take a step away from the window. Jack spoke, "Because I can bet my life that every one that I name is alive and well."

Everyone gave a puzzled look to the rabbit's contradictory statement. Xavier gave no objection and Jack continued, "My blackmailer never gave me his full name so I sadly can't cross his death off my list. He was an armadillo that gave me the name Hoover, most likely a false name."

Acting quickly Judy took out her carrot pen and a notepad. "Number eleven was a pig by the name of Charlotte Hogstein."

"Ten was a meerkat by the name of Timon King."

"Nine, Daggett Foster, beaver."

"Eight, Robert Spirit, zebra."

"Seven, Peter Quill, porcupine."

"Six, Reginald Button, koala."

"Five, Honey Dugger, honey badger."

"Four, Hugo Greengrass, cheetah."

"Three, David Melman, giraffe."

Jack stopped then. Judy had written down everything he had said, the pen hovered on the page ready to write the last two names. She looked at the rabbit confused as to why he stopped with two more names to go. Bogo had inched closer to the glass as well. Nick was nearly on top of Judy as Jack listed off every mammal he had killed. Jack seemed to space out, almost refusing to say the last two mammals. Tension filled the silent air. Xavier did not want to speak. He felt that if he spoke Jack would not give the last two names. Jack blinked several times before he looked right at the mirror again. His nose began to twitch; it hasn't twitched in so long Jack had no idea it could anymore. His eyes didn't show the confidence he had before. This time they showed fear. He let out a long sigh and looked away, down to the floor. He then spoke, "Stu and Bonnie Hopps."

Judy dropped the pen.


	9. Chapter 9: Haunting Faces

**AN:** I'd like to thank all you who commented on the story. It makes me happy that so many people are enjoying this story. And it has surpassed over 700 visitors and is not far away from 2000 views! I think I will be keeping the story at a once per week update schedule going forward.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **Haunting Faces**

Judy could not move. Nick and Bogo looked to her. Richards remained stoic. Xavier just looked at the rabbit in front of him. Jack slowly sat back in his chair, his nose still twitching. He held a paw up to stop it to no avail. He knew that the last two names would not be dead in this reality. Judy's presence here gave Jack the belief. And judging by Xavier's reaction and the fact that no word had come from the other room, he knew he was right. His nose stopped as he spoke aloud, "Better run those names. I bet all eleven are still alive and kicking."

Bogo reach down and grabbed the pad from Judy. She gave a shout of objection, but the buffalo ignored it. He tossed it over to Richards. "Richards," Bogo spoke.

The wolf perked up, but was unable to catch the pad in time. It smacked his shoulder and fell to the floor. He reach down to pick it up as Bogo continued, "Run the names."

"Yes sir." The wolf scurried out of the room in a hurry. Judy finally spoke up, "What game is he playing."

"Your parents aren't dead," Nick chimed in, "Then why say their names?"

"To get at me?" Judy suggested.

"But why then?" Nick asked.

"None of what he is saying makes any sense," Bogo added as he pressed the intercom system, "Xavier you are done, let him stew in there for now."

Not objecting the panda rose from his seat and went for the exit. As he opened the door Jack looked to the mirror and spoke, "How are the parents Judy?"

His voice was not layered with the sarcasm he was speaking with before. It wasn't even confident. It was if he genuinely wanted to know, like he was concerned for them.

Jack knew it was only a matter of time before they came back with eleven still alive mammals. He knew he just had to wait. He knew he was taking a gamble with admitting to murder, but there were no dead mammals at his paws in this Zootopia. He had a clean slate. And he figured now they would believe his story of him coming from another world. He just wanted to get Ness and leave this building, and work on getting home.

…

A little more than fifteen minutes passed before the door to the interrogation room opened again. Jack watched as Nick, and only him, walked into the room. He closed the large door behind him and jumped into the chair opposite Jack. He was holding a red manila folder, the default for the ZPD, with several papers stuffed inside. He placed it on the table, but did not open it as he spoke, "Why Stu and Bonnie?"

"Why I killed them?" Jack asked. He was rather happy it was not Judy in the room at the moment, but he figured Bogo denied just because of her parents. This was a conversation he always thought he would have with Judy one day. But not in the circumstances he was in at the moment. His nose gave a small twitch.

"Yes." Nick confirmed.

"Well," Jack explained, "I wasn't doing it of my own volition; I was ordered to kill the two of them."

"By who?"

"By a Mister Vincent Valentine."

"And who is this Valentine?"

"He is a panda; the head of one of the largest crime syndicates in my Zootopia. He bought me in an auction after my mother sold me. He didn't treat me like many mammals treat the ones they buy. I was like a son to him. And he saw how I viewed the world. He saw how I hated it and everyone joyful. My mother was the root of all my hatred. Vincent taught me to take that anger and express it."

"Through murder."

"Not at first," Jack corrected, "He just taught me how to make the world feel as I felt. As if everything was against them. The easiest way to do that was to take their happiness from them. Give them nothing but grief, just like my mother gave me. And it was once I was eighteen that he finally let me make someone feel that way."

"The Hopps?"

"Yes," Jack confirmed, "Vincent had been trying to establish a foothold in the burrows for some drug growing operation. But there were laws preventing any random mammal from just purchasing land out there. So he planned to disrupt the community, cause a commotion to allow him to weasel his way in. And what better commotion than a murder.

"He could have chosen anyone, but he wanted to make the biggest commotion possible. Giving him the biggest smoke screen to swoop in under. And what better target than the heads of the largest farm in Bunnyburrow? And why not send a bunny to kill a bunny? No one would think any the wiser to seeing a bunny walking around a place with over eighty million other bunnies."

Jack paused as he got to the next part of his story, "It was simple. The rage I had building up for years, I was finally able to release it all. Stu and Bonnie had barely any time to process that they were dying. But a small kit that snuck into the room because of a nightmare did. What she saw was the worst nightmare any young bun could witness. She was paralyzed with fear, but I couldn't let her escape and call for help. I may have been a killer, but a kit was out of the question. So I made sure she wouldn't expose me. A cut right through her right leg, made a big gash. She screamed in pain and I left. No one ever found out it was me. Poor little Judith Hopps knew, but she never saw me after that day. Not in the flesh, but definitely in her new nightmares.

"I ruined that little bunny's dreams." Jack looked dead into Nick's eyes, "You know Judy well. You know how much being a cop drives her. Now imagine that being taken away from her when she was a kit. By a mysterious bunny that killed her parents. Giving her a permanent limp preventing her from becoming a cop. Should that not kill you from the inside?"

Nick did not respond. Jack looked to the floor and continued, "It did for me. The first time I killed, and it nearly destroyed me. So I did the only thing I could do, I killed more. Vincent had more jobs for me as the years went on. They didn't help me. I saw the Hopps' faces every night. Judy's tormented me the most. Those big purple eyes filled with fear, fear I caused. I took jobs on my own. Trying to bury those faces. But they would always come back every night. I was tormented with no end. And that is when my Nicholas Wilde finally arrested me.

"I thought that was it, I was going to end up behind bars for the rest of my life. Maybe even get the death sentence. Instead that dumb fox didn't do that. He saw the _potential_ in me, said that I could do far more great than I did evil. I did anything to get me out of a prison sentence. All I had to do was to take murder jobs, but not commit the murders. In the few years with the ZPD I prevented twelve deaths. And it was this that finally made those faces that tormented me disappeared. But Judy's always remained. There was no getting rid of that small bun's face. Ever."

Jack stopped talking, and silence filled the small room. Jack's nose was twitching again; he didn't try to stop it this time. Nick hesitated at first, but finally spoke up, "None of them are dead."

Jack looked as Nick opened the file and laid out the papers inside. Each of them showed the mammals he had listed off, save for the Hopps, and each of them was alive and well. None of them were pushing up daisies early. He looked to Nick. Nick spoke up, "I guess I am really much like your Nick am I?"

Jack broke a smile he had long since banished, "Like twins."

Nick gave a laugh, "Then I bet you know he is a very good reader of mammals. And what I can get from you is that you are telling the truth about everything."

"So what now?" Jack asked, "Am I going to be arrested?"

"There is the crux of our problem here," Nick stated. The door opened and in stepped the cape buffalo Chief Bogo. Bogo strode over and stood next to Nick. Bogo spoke first, "There comes the jurisdiction over you Mister Savage."

"You really believe what Nick believes Bogo?" Jack was surprised that the stone faced buffalo would except a story like this. Jack figured he would be off to the loony bin right now.

"Officer Wilde has shown time and time again as a good judge of character and truth. I don't question it since he is usually right. But you did admit to twelve murders. Yet none of them can be proven in our Zootopia."

"What are you getting at?" Jack questioned where the buffalo was going with this.

"You essentially have no criminal record. Yes you did assault officers, but you also help capture a highly wanted fugitive."

No one said anything. Jack looked to Bogo and asked, "So what are you going to do with me?"

"Procedure says I should have you arrested for your crimes. But there are no crimes present here. But you are also a danger to society. Yet, you seem to be reformed. Then there comes the question of your watch."

To emphasize this point Bogo reached into his pocket and tossed something onto the table. It came to rest in the center of the metal table, too far for Jack to reach. It was the Nexus, showing no signs of activity. Jack looked to Bogo and back to the watch, "You are giving me back the Nexus?"

"Under one condition."

"And that is?" Jack didn't like where this is going.

"You head back to your Zootopia."

Jack feared this would be the buffalo's condition. A condition he couldn't meet at this point. Jack sighed, "I'm afraid I can't do that?"

"Don't want to go back?" Nick asked.

"That's all I want to do." Jack disagreed.

"Then why not?" Bogo didn't see the problem.

Jack looked to the Nexus, "Because the Nexus lacks the ability to know where I jump, or where I jumped from. It was complete randomness that brought me here. I came from a different reality where animals were savage and there were these strange hairless creatures running everything. If I attempted to jump again, I may never be able return home."

"So you are stuck here?" All three occupants of the room turned to the new voice. Standing in the doorway was Judy.

"For the time being, yes," Jack answered turning away from the other bunny.

"For the time being?" Nick asked.

Jack looked to the Nexus, "The Nexus contains some advanced computer intelligence system that is currently running calculations on a possible method of tracking jumps. And a possible jump home."

"A what?" Judy asked.

Jack nodded towards the Nexus, "If I can have it, it can explain."

Nick reached forward and pushed the Nexus the rest of the way across the table. Jack grabbed it with his still cuffed arms and brought it into his lap. Judy and Bogo stepped closer to get a look at Jack. Nick remained seated. Jack lopped the Nexus around his right wrist below the cuff. It instantly reacted by reattaching and the waves of energy returned. The screen flashed white and Ness's voice filled the room, "Hello again Jack."


	10. Chapter 10: Copycat

**Chapter Ten**

 **Copycat**

After several minutes of explaining, Ness was able to make Judy, Nick, and Bogo understand the situation Jack was in. As well as what he was and what the Nexus was. He answered any question they had to the best of his ability. Ness had restated most of what he had told Jack in the time he had him before he got to this Zootopia. And Bogo had made a decision what to do with Jack. Not really arguing with it, Jack now stood outside of ZPD Central.

He leaned against a pillar off to the side of the front entrance, the Nexus was still attached to his wrist and the cuffs were removed. The parking lot half filled with police cruisers was to his left. He saw a few filter in and out as officers went out on cases or were returning from them. He figured most of the absences were currently due to going out to lunch. Jack noticed the sun had taken its place at the pinnacle in the sky. There were a few clouds providing some form of shade, but nothing considerable enough for worry. Jack couldn't believe that he had been in there for so long. His stomach agreed with a growl. He was going to go for some food as soon as he could.

He watched the various inhabitants of Zootopia walk in the park in front of the police department. Some were eating food, the others going about their daily routines. He spied a cart vendor make their way into the park across the street. He watched the pig tending the cart set it up. The umbrella attached to the top sprung open to reveal what the cart was selling. Seeing a stasis for his hunger Jack checked his left pocket for his wallet and peeled himself from the wall and stepped down from Central.

Inside Bogo's office Nick and Judy shared the single chair that sat opposite Bogo's. The buffalo had called the two of them into his office after they let Jack go. He was ordered to wait outside for the two, Bogo wanted to speak with them alone first. Once he was sure there would be no intrusions Bogo spoke, "Normally I wouldn't give you two a case today after the night you just had. But one came in during the interrogation of Jack. One that I think you two are best suited for."

The buffalo reached into a draw of his desk and fished out a black folder. He placed it on his desk and pushed it to the two. Nick, having the better reach, grabbed it and held it out for the two of them to see. The first thing he noticed was the symbol on the front. Nick looked to Bogo, "This is an HICU case."

"Yes," Bogo confirmed the obvious. On the folder was the symbol for the newly formed police division dubbed, the HICU. High Intensity Crime Unit. It was set in motion after newly elected mayor Sarah Malay. She had replaced Bellwether after Judy and Nick had revealed her plot. The HICU was formed to take on high priority cases, much like the missing mammal ones that originated because of the night howlers. It was established a few months ago and was still setting up. The HICU would assist the ZPD as well as conduct its own cases. It still lacked the mammal power since they were still recruiting from the many precincts in Zootopia; as well as outside sources. Nick and Judy were offered positions in the HICU. But Judy declined saying, "I wanted to be a cop my whole life. I'm happy where I am."

Nick declined with, "I follow her. Wherever she goes I go."

Nick opened the folder as Judy asked, "I know the HICU is still getting settled in, but why did you take a case away from them?"

Before Bogo could answer Nick tapped Judy on the shoulder. She looked to him confused. He pointed to the papers in the files. She read what he was pointing at. She read it again. And again. She then looked to Bogo, "A savage attack?"

"It would seem so."

"Is it Doug?" Judy asked, "He slipped away in all the mayhem a year ago. And has yet to resurface."

"That can't be for sure if he has finally wormed his way back in business." Bogo answered.

Nick flipped through the folder. Bogo explained, "There are a few inconsistencies that don't directly point to Doug. First being that it was a prey that went savage."

Nick found the picture of a moose in the folder. Judy saw it too. Bogo continued, "The main thing that may not make it Doug is after Miss Elkson attacked a polar bear on the street she was taken to Sahara Medical for a night howler vaccine. But before they could administer it she was no longer savage. There was no trace of the flowers in her system. They ran the tests twice."

"But anyone exposed to the night howler serum that Doug created was permanently savage?" Judy questioned.

"Maybe Doug doesn't have as good a lab as he did almost a year ago?" Nick suggested.

"That doesn't add up," Judy countered, "Bellwether hired Doug because he had a masters in chemical engineering. He knew exactly what to do perfectly. He wouldn't make an inferior serum that wouldn't have the same effect."

"Maybe to make it not look like him." Nick offered.

Bogo spoke in before Judy could respond, "Whatever it is I want you two on the case. You did well with the Night Howler one; hopefully you could end this one before panic spreads through the city. For all we know right now we might have a copycat. This could just be the beginning of more savage events."

"Understood sir." They said in unison.

With the conversation done Nick and Judy made for the door. Before they left Bogo spoke, "And don't forget about Mister Savage. He is to be in your company. Perhaps his little friend Ness could help."

"Are you making him a consultant?" Judy asked in the doorway. Nick back stepped to look at the chief.

"He can be an asset for us until he can go home."

Judy and Nick nodded as they left. The door shut behind them and they made their way to the entrance of the building. As they stepped out they looked around for Jack. He was instructed to wait outside for them, but there was no sign of him. Judy asked, "Did he just leave?"

"Nope." Nick said pointed forward. Judy followed his finger to see Jack sitting on a bench in the part. With something he was eating. Nick walked forward first, Judy followed right behind.

Jack's ears perked up as he heard footsteps approach him. He looked to his left to see both Judy and Nick cross the park towards him. Jack lowered his food as they approached, "So what's our mission partners?"

"We are not partners," Judy interrupted as she stepped in front of the white rabbit, "Nick and I are, but you are just tagging along with us until you can leave."

"Okay," Jack raised his arms in mock surrender, "What is with the hostility?"

"I think it has to do with you killing my parents." Judy pointed a finger at Jack.

"Not yours, the other Judy's." Jack corrected pointing a finger right back at her.

Nick stepped in between the two rabbits, "Let's not fight, we have to work together." He looked to Judy, "I expect better of you Carrots." Judy seemed to wilt under the gaze of the fox, "He may be a murder, but he is trying to better himself. I think he's been tormented enough."

Nick turned to face Jack, "You are still a civilian, you are merely going to be in our presence until you can leave. Bogo only assigned you to us simply because your previous relationship with the other Nick."

He looked to both bunnies, "Understood?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Good," Nick looked to Jack's food, "I didn't take you as one for fast food."

Jack looked to his nearly finished water tofu dog with a squiggle of mustard on it. He looked back to Nick, "Why not?"

"You just had this air of high society like a spy," Nick commented.

"Not the first one to say that," Jack answered, "But when you are one who tends to have to blend into the background fast because of my occupation you take quick meals that you can walk with."

"We can chat on the way," Judy chimed in, "We have a case."

She held up the black folder. Jack stepped off the bench and tossed the unfinished food in a nearby trashcan, "Very well."

Nick turned back and walked to the station where their cruiser was parked, "Now come on Carrots One and Two, let's get started on this case."

Judy and Jack followed the fox out of the park and back towards Central. Jack looked to Judy, "Why the nickname Carrots?"

They turned into the parking lot, "He gave me it when we first met, mainly because I'm a bunny."

"It seems a bit demeaning of a name."

"It lost that tone quickly."

Nick stood by the car waiting for the slower rabbits. He shouted, "I can just take the car by myself and leave you two bunnies here to do what bunnies love to do."

Judy visibly stiffened. Her ears fell in front of her face. Jack saw the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks through her gray fur. Jack stepped away from Judy and towards the fox. He looked to Nick, "You say that like you want to watch."

It was Nick's turn to look back in shock. His ears fell back as Jack closed the distance first. Jack leaned forward and whispered, "Don't dish what you can't take Nick."

Not waiting for him to counter Jack opened the back door and stepped inside. He watched from the window as Judy gave the fox a punch in the arm. He gripped the wounded appendage. Judy had a mean punch. She pushed the black folder into the fox's arms and walked around the car. She got into the driver's seat and Nick hopped into the passenger's. Judy started the car and began to pull out of the lot. Jack spoke to Nick again, "Even if bunnies are like that, we still like to keep it to ourselves."

"Is this like the 'c' word?" Nick asked to both of them.

"Yes," Judy answered, "Just like there are similar words for foxes."

"Everyone has their own buttons," Nick said a bit peeved his little joke seemed to have backfired in his face.

Jack just laughed, "But now you are outnumbered by two bunnies Nick."

"Won't be two for long." He said with a sly grin.

This earned him another shot to the arm by Judy. Nick gripped his forearm as it throbbed with pain, "Stop punching me!"

"Then stop making those kinds of jokes." Judy countered pressing on the accelerator and driving further into Zootopia.

"I can tell this is going to be a boat load of fun already." Jack added.

After a few minutes of driving Nick opened the folder and read aloud, "At a little after eight thirty this morning Miss Baily Elkson jumped through a window in her house and attacked a polar bear, Mister Boris Belinski. Boris did attack back, but just to ensure he wasn't seriously harmed. He did not want to hurt Baily, so he did restrain himself. Nevertheless Tundratown's ZPD arrived after several calls from onlookers about a savage attack.

"ZPD restrained both, and were shocked to find Boris was the one not savage. He was taken to Frostmint Hospital, while Baily was taken to Sahara Medical for treatment for night howler. Upon arrival Baily showed no signs of savagery. They ran blood tests, twice, and found no traces of the night howler at any percentage."

Jack chimed in first, "What is night howler?"

Nick looked back at the rabbit surprised. Judy's ears perked up, but she remained still not wanting to take her eyes off the road. Nick asked, "You never heard of them?"

"Why are they bad?" Jack had a feeling they were based on what he heard of the case.

Judy came to a stop at red light. She looked to Jack, "Those damned blue flowers nearly split Zootopia in two. They turn mammals savage, primal. If it wasn't for me and Nick, Zootopia would probably be in complete turmoil. That accursed ewe Bellwether hid behind a false smile, mock meekness. She wanted all prey to despise preds."

Judy turned back around just as the light turned green. She pressed forward, "So if you think they are bad, then yes."

Nick looked back to Jack, "You don't have them in your world?"

"If we do, I've never heard of them." Jack answered with a shrug.

Nick turned back around as Judy drove to the address in the file. Jack broke the silence a few minutes later, "What is this whole Bellwether thing?"

Nick smiled as he cleared his throat.

…

Nick recanted the tale that brought him and Judy together and lead him on the course of being a cop; the Night Howler case. Jack was fascinated. It did surprise him a small ewe creating a scheme like that. He guessed she was marginally successful, save for when Judy and Nick intervened, just like him being a murderer. Unsuspecting because of the adorableness, meekness, and the fact they were prey. Judy even chimed in time to time as the story was told. To fill in gaps in the story, correct Nick, or just to scold him on making a horrible joke or pun.

The story helped pass the time. And they soon arrived at the address where the attack happened. Judy pulled the car to the side and the three of them exited. Jack kept his distance as he let the cops do their job. He was still a civilian, so he stuck to the sidelines. He stood by the front of the cruiser as he observed Judy and Nick go to work. There were other officers on the scene that Jack could not put names to their faces.

He only really dealt with the Central in his Zootopia. These other officers obviously were from the Tundratown precinct. The street was still blocked off, but there was barely any police presence, since the event did happen over five hours ago. There was still police tape up. There was a sizable hole in the wall where a window once was. Several strands of the classic yellow tape covered the inside of the hole. Judy and Nick walked up to a polar bear police officer. He couldn't make out their conversation from his distance.

He watched them exchange a few lines and then walk into the building through the front door, closing it behind them. Seeing nothing else for him to do Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He pressed the button to turn it on, yet it refused to do so. He tried again, not getting a different result. He cursed. Ness spoke up instantly, "Something the matter Jack?"

Jack looked to the Nexus, "It's nothing Ness." He looked back to his dead phone, "I just never forgot to shut my phone off. It must have been trying to reconnect to a tower and the internet the entire time. It drained its battery." He looked to the surrounding area, "I wonder if this Zootopia's chargers will still work for my phone."

"I might have a better solution," Ness interjected.

Jack looked back to the Nexus, "What?"

"Place your phone on the Nexus, Jack." Ness directed.

"What for?" Jack was not sure where Ness was going with this.

"Just do it, please." Ness seemed to tack on the last word not really meaning it. As if he just wanted him to do it.

Sighing, Jack complied and placed his phone flat against the smaller screen of the Nexus. The screen flashed white and Jack removed his phone, "So what was that all about?"

"That was technology transference," Ness answered, "I just transferred your entire phone's data into me. Allowing use of it."

To demonstrate this the Nexus projected several blue screens in the air around Jack. The rabbit recognized them instantly. One was his home screen. Another his contact list. His GPS system failing to locate him was one. Even the old app he forgot, Scrimmage Society. Jack waved his hand and the screens all collapsed back into the Nexus' screen. Jack asked, "What good does any of this do me? I don't have an internet connection."

"Yes," Ness agreed, "Your phone was linked to the internet of your world. But the Nexus has the capacity to connect to any internet."

Jack looked to the watch in disbelief. Ness explained, "The internet can be seen like a door that can be opened with one type of key. And everyone from your Zootopia had this key to readily access this door. This Zootopia uses a different lock. But the Nexus can pick the lock till it finds the correct key to open the door. Since these two worlds are very similar the keys should be as well. The world we were in before this one was so vastly different I made no headway on that key as I did this one."

The sound of turning tumblers sounded from the Nexus. Ness spoke, "Which I just did. You now have access to this internet."

"Good to know," Jack responded. He looked back to the house in front of him. Judy and Nick were still inside. He could see a few lights on inside and their shadows dance along the walls once in awhile. He looked to the house. There was the gaping hole where a window once was. He could see the red fox past the police tape. Jack then noticed something off. All of the windows seemed to be cracked. He began to walk along the road up a snow bank that rose above the street. He spoke to Ness, "You were paying attention in the car right?"

"You mean to the case and the Night Howler one?" Ness asked for confirmation.

Jack confirmed for the computer as he reached the peak of the bank and looked to the house now a bit further away. He had a perfect view of the corner of the building. Several windows on both floors were now in his view. The broken one was barely visible from his angle. Again all of the windows he could see were cracked. The glass was still in the frames, but spider webs of cracks covered each and every one. He finally spoke to Ness, "The night howler serum was used in a paintball like ammo right?"

"Yes."

"And if the crime scene was kept as it was, then how did they get a shot at the moose?"

"What are you getting at Jack?"

Jack knelt down and narrowed his eyes. He continued, "Let's just say she was shot with the serum, and inferior one at that. And they did close the window they used; because I'm betting whoever did this did not want to be inside with a savage mammal. Now if that is the case, then how is every window in the house cracked. Miss Elkson would have to have tried to get out of each window to do that. But she could have easily done it. She no doubt would have seen any pedestrian to go after from any of the windows. Yet it was the polar bear she saw first, thus making her go out the living room."

"What are you suggesting Jack?"

"The effects of night howler weren't permanent. What if a serum wasn't used?"

"What else could have been used besides that?" Ness countered, "You and I have no knowledge of this type of poison."

Jack ignored Ness as he turned around and looked to the snow dunes around him. He trudged down the one he was on and towards the first row. He checked behind him to keep the house in view. He explained, "How could a savage mammal run to every window in their house, crack each window, and not see anyone outside at nearly eight in the morning. When there would be countless mammals on the streets going to work or breakfast. And only go after a polar bear from the living room. Possible the most likely room to be in when you are getting ready to go out."

Jack reached the top of the dune and looked to the white field around him. He saw the backs of other houses not that far from him. He looked to see the house was a good distance from him, but not that far. He looked around, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was something that contrasted with the white of Tundratown. He stepped to the next snow bank over to see a set of mudded paw prints in the snow. They were from an animal larger than him. He stepped in front of the print to see a disturbance in the snow. Almost as if some tube like object was laid there. Jack leveled his eye with the disturbance, closing the other. It lined up perfectly with the house. Using the Nexus, Jack projected a holographic line towards the house to confirm this.

Jack asked, "Seems like we found our sniper's nest."

"But this is too far of a distance to shoot the serum," Ness added.

Jack canceled the line as he straightened up. He looked to the print, "Can you analyze the mud?"

"Yes."

Jack held his paw out and a scanning beam scrolled along the prints. Ness spoke up, "Just give me a few minutes."

Jack didn't say a word as he looked back to the house in the distance. He spoke aloud, "So if the serum was not used, then what was? What could cause the same effect, yet not need a bullet. Or can cause windows to crack?"

"A sonic pulse." Ness suggested.

"Could that cause a mammal to go savage?"

"No. But it could explain the windows."

Jack stepped down the bank, moving further away from the house trying to find more clues. He figured this was a good distance from the actual crime scene that no one bothered to look this far out for anything. No one with a serum could ever make a shot like this. As he reached the houses he spied something else in the snow, tire tracks. He followed alongside them in between two of the houses and into the street through a driveway. They were lost beyond that point. He spoke, "Looks like whoever did this was not working alone."

"Analysis complete." Ness chimed in.

Jack leaned against one of the houses as he brought the Nexus up. Ness projected a hologram of the paw print, "The mud is similar in composition to that found in the Canal District. This of course is from your Zootopia not this one, but the similarity must be the same."

"So now we have a district, but the Canals are a big area. It would take a while to even search the whole thing. And this is the developed portions. I have a feeling that our assailants might be working under the radar."

"They left in a vehicle correct?"

"Yes," Jack looked to the tire tracks in front of him. "No way you can track a car simply by its tire impressions."

"There is no need, when there are CCTV cameras all over this Zootopia."

Jack perked up and stepped into the sidewalk. He looked to the telephone poles to see on a few of them there were indeed cameras. He spoke, "Can you get me into that system?"

"Already did Jack."

"I love you Ness."

Jack made his way back behind the house as he tapped the Nexus. A blank square plate attached to his hand. He tossed it to the snow in front of him. The plate stopped parallel to the ground. It slowly morphed as the terrain of the area took shape. Houses and streets popped up. Once it was done the view shrank till only what the cameras could prove remained. Jack spoke, "Show me a bit before eight this morning."

…

Jack had narrowed the view of the hologram till it only showed one road. The blue of the hologram was accented with a single red car moving along the street seamlessly against other blue cars. This was the one he had spotted a few minutes ago leaving right from where he found the tracks. He had spent the last few minutes tailing the path the car took through Zootopia with the aid of the CCTV cameras. Jack noticed instantly that this Zootopia had a different layout than his.

His was made up of a few islands formed by two rivers and a bay. This one was one solid peninsula separated almost evenly into the four distinct environments of Zootopia. He had tracked the basic looking sedan, the color he was not able to determine. The Nexus holograms only worked in blue mostly, but Jack was able to make it mark the car red to help him keep track of it. The car had exited Tundratown and went through a tunnel through a mountain range to the Rainforest District. He followed it through the curved streets as it made it to more water causeway populated Canal District. The roads were desolate in cars in the playback Jack was viewing. The time was displayed in the lower right hand corner of the display, 9:32.

Jack looked back to the red car as it turned off the street and into the trees beyond. Jack scrolled around like one would do on a GPS program, yet he was not able to find another camera in the direction of where the car pulled off. He expanded out to see the layout of other streets, but after several minutes passed in the playback the red hologram did not reappear. Jack returned to the location the car turned off, "What's the address Ness?"

"I have street name," Ness answered, "but that is an outskirt street. There are no houses nearby for addresses."

"What's the name then?"

"Arum Drive."

"There you are."

Jack lowered the hologram; it folded into the screen of the Nexus. He looked up the hill of snow to see Judy looking right at him. Jack straightened himself up, "All done with the house?"

"We're heading back to Central, there is nothing here."

"Actually-"

Judy cut him off, "This isn't a night howler incident, more than likely Miss Elkson was faking going savage, we are going to pass the case onto HICU to deal with."

"It wasn't a stunt Judy."

Judy looked to Jack like he grew a second head. Nick appeared at the crest of the hill, standing a few feet behind Judy. Judy spoke, "I don't care what you think, there was no evidence of night howler at the scene."

Judy turned and went to walk away. Jack waved his hand and the snow around them rose into wall sealing them in. The snow moved like water as it maintained a height neither bunny could jump over. Nick was right near the edge and jumped inwards as snow falling off the wall was landing right on him. Judy turned around to face the white rabbit, she looked livid, "I know we gave you your little toy back, but that does not give you the right to use it against us."

"What is your problem with me?" Jack shouted. He walked towards the bunny. He had enough of this. All day he felt an aura of venom cascading off of the gray bunny.

The two were only a foot apart at this point. Nick decided not to intervene this time as to not get in the way of bunnies. He learned that before with Judy. Judy started, "You want to know what my problem is with you!"

"Yes, I very much would!"

They had closed the distance. There were only a few inches between their noses. Jack's blue eyes stared into Judy's purple ones. Judy spoke, "I don't want you around me. You killed my parents. You killed innocent mammals. I don't care if you did it in your world. You are a murderer. You should be punished for your crimes. But no! Bogo instead assigns you to us until you can go back to your world where your murders have been absolves. You shouldn't be allowed to run free. You should behind bars, or better yet dead!"

With that Judy huffed in anger and turned away from Jack. She walked away and towards the center of the snow enclosure. Jack took a step back closer to the wall. His hands fell and the snow wall followed suit. It collapsed and returned the field of snow to its normal state. A circular ridge was the only remains of the wall. Judy looked to the snow as it fell. She looked back to Jack. His ears had dropped. Jack found the monotone snow more interesting to look at than the two mammals in his company. Jack's voice was meek in response, "Don't you think I already know all of that."

His gaze still remained fixated on the ground, "I've thought that every day of my life after my first kill. I knew I was a bad mammal deserving of being killed myself. I don't deserve to live." He looked up to Judy. His eyes were as hard as stone, "But those who held my fate in their paws saw something else. I've been told that I have potential. My Nick told me this. I didn't think much of it that day since it was going to get me out of jail. But as I saved more lives I knew what he meant."

Jack looked to Nick, "He is always good a reading character, as you are." He turned back to Judy, "I was made into a killer by those who had control of my life since I was a kit. I was a tool to them, and that was all I was. I thought of Vincent as the father I never had. He treated me as such, but it was all a ploy for me to trust him and for him to make me into a murderer."

Jack grabbed tightly onto the collar of his turtleneck shirt. He continued, "I ruined so many lives. Lives that would be better off if I was never born. And I should be punished."

He ripped the shirt right off of his fur. The cold wind instantly assaulted him. He didn't care. He moved his arms to his side. Judy let out a gasp in surprise. She covered her mouth with both of her paws. Nick's eyes went wide as well. Jack dropped the ruined shirt to the ground. This was the first time he had ever shown this to any other mammal. No one knew of this, and he made sure that no one did.

Across Jack's chest were deep scars. The fur had never grown back, nor would it ever. The flesh had healed, but was jagged and as if the cuts had been done over multiple times. There were twelve slashes in total. The largest and most abused one ran down his entire left side from nearly his shoulder past his waist line. Jack spoke, "And I made sure that I would always remember them. I scarred them, so I scarred myself."

He ran his left paw along the long cut, "Especially my Judy."

He looked to Judy, "I hurt her the most."

"You did this to yourself?" Judy asked. Her voice was no longer hurtful. She was afraid, for Jack. It was caring. Jack looked to the ground, "I've escaped punishment for my crimes my entire life. So I punished myself. If no one else was going to give me what I deserved."

"Jack," Judy spoke, her ears had dropped as well. Yet she didn't know what to say. She never knew personally of animals that self-harmed. Nevertheless she knew of it, but it was usually with small cuts on the forearms or upper legs, easily hidden away. She saw cases where animals hospitalized themselves because of what they did. Yet what she saw here was straight up self-mutilation. She began to walk forward. She didn't say a word as she closed the gap. Jack looked up as she approached. She stood at the distance they were a few moments ago. They were only a few inches apart. Yet this time the air was not filled with hostility; but sympathy.

Without an exchange of words Judy leapt forward and embraced Jack in a hug. He stiffened with the contact, his ears perking back up to their full height. Judy was warm, a welcome invite from the cold that had pierced him. His ears fell back down as he slowly raised his arms and returned the hug. Judy wasn't sure how long she was holding, but she loosened her hold and took a step back. Jack lowered his arms and looked to her. She spoke, "Let's get you out of this cold."

She turned and headed back to the cruiser. Jack followed right behind her. Nick had remained stoic through the whole ordeal. He looked to the two departing bunnies. He looked to the ground. He recovered fast and rushed to catch up to them. They entered the cruiser, Nick and Jack sharing the passenger seat this time. Judy started the car and drove out of Tundratown.


	11. Chapter 11: Tropic Thunder

**AN:** I'd like to thank all who have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. The Runaway Rabbit has hit a few milestones. Over a 1000 views, breaking a dozen follows, and has hit its two month mark. Two months and we have reached Chapter Eleven. Eleven is a very important chapter to this story.

Chapter Eleven is important to the entire story itself. This is related to how the story was first conceived. I joined Fanfiction long ago, but never wrote or read anything on the site. It was not until I saw Zootopia that I decided to read Zootopia fics, and afterwards think about writing my own. The first idea I had for a story was a human in Zootopia one. But, as I planned that one out I didn't like the way it was going with the human character with a device similar to the Nexus. I then decided upon using Jack as my main character. The first idea for the story was to have him get the Nexus and end up in Zootopia right after Judy's first day as an officer. The story would then follow Jack, Judy, and Nick through the events of the movie.

I canned that idea, seeing as I did not want to do a retelling of the movie we all saw. There would be no twists or turns that I could impart as an author. That was when I decided to change it up and use that human story I first envisioned and replace the human with Jack. And that is what The Runaway Rabbit became. But the significance of Chapter Eleven is that in the human story it would have been Chapter Number ONE. Chapters One through Ten were made to establish Jack, the Nexus, and several other things. But Chapter Eleven was the first chapter I ever thought of for this story.

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **Tropic Thunder**

The sun had begun its descent, turning the sky an array of orange, pink, purple, and darker blue. Judy stepped out the entrance of a small clothing store in Savanna Central. The drive to the CAPE store was silent. Jack had pushed himself to the edge of the seat to look out the window. Nick took the other side. No one saw it fit to speak after what transpired in Tundratown. The cruiser was parked in front of the store as Judy walked around the car. She threw the bag of items she just purchased to Jack as she got into her seat. He lazily opened and looked to the items inside. He spoke meekly, "Thanks Judy."

Jack grabbed a simple white t-shirt with blue accents on the edges. He put it on and threw his jacket into the bag. There was also a pair of blue denim jeans and a plaid long sleeve shirt colored black blue and white in the bag. Judy spoke as she turned the car on, "No problem."

She checked, and once she was good she exited the spot and drove with no destination in mind. Jack set the bag on the ground. They came to a red light, "There was something I found back in Tundratown."

Nick and Judy looked to Jack. He didn't look at them; he just kept looking at the bag. He continued, "It wasn't a night howler serum, but it was something else. Baily wasn't faking. Something made her go savage, but it wasn't night howlers."

"What could of it have been?" Nick looked to the rabbit next to him. Judy was looking as well. She missed the light turning green, to which a car in the line let out a honk of annoyance. Judy returned to the road and drove onward. Jack explained, "I found a paw print in the snow," a hologram appeared in the air amongst them of the muddy paw print he was speaking of. Jack continued, "The soil matched that of the Rainforest district. I found a depression in the snow, like the barrel of a gun pointed directly at the house. Yet it was too far for any normal shooter to make a shot with a pellet with night howler serum."

"Then what could it have been?" Nick questioned.

The hologram faded as Jack answered, "I'm not sure, but I was able to track a car that originated near the print."

"Where did they go?" Judy asked this time.

"Arum Drive in the Canal District."

Judy looked to the streets outside, and once finding what she wanted she made a quick right turn, "Nick activate the beacon."

"No backup?" The fox asked as he opened the glove compartment.

"I don't want to waste resources if this isn't exactly true. And don't want to scare whoever did this away with a large police presence if it is."

"So a ping just in case we are in danger," Nick caught on to what Judy was planning.

"Exactly," she confirmed. Nick found the device, a small black box. He pressed a button on the side of it and a little red light on the top of it blinked and faded slowly. A second passed before it blinked and repeated the process. Nick stowed it back where he found it as Judy headed towards the Rainforest District.

Jack looked to the two, "You are actually believing me?"

"Why would you lie to us?" Nick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not that, I just didn't think you would trust me."

"It's the best hunch we got in this case at the moment Jack," Judy stated.

…

The sun had fallen below the horizon and the moon began its ascent as the cruiser with two bunnies and a fox turned onto Arum Drive. The sky began to fill with stars with the aid of little light pollution. The moon was at a first quarter, providing some light along with the limited streetlights that corralled the outskirt street. There was no rain at the moment, but a plume of clouds was not that far off. A roll of thunder echoed from them as they advanced towards the rainforest. The desolate road followed the landscape, cutting through the jungle around it. The land rose to the right and fell to the left. The trees populated the right the most, and large rocks filled the left more.

The road turned left and exposed another straight stretch of road. Ness chimed in, "The point where the car turned off is coming up."

Acknowledging this Judy turned off the headlights of the car and slowed down. She remained at a crawl as an opening in the trees appeared. One paved by cars, where the grass had been uprooted exposing the moist jungle soil underneath. She pulled the car to the side next to the road, blocking it off. Judy shut the car off as everyone undid their seatbelts. They stayed within the car as another clap of thunder signaled the encroachment of the storm.

"So what's the plan?" Jack was the first to ask.

"Stick to the shadows," Nick answered, "the beacon is still on, we will only scout."

"If we find anything," Judy continued, "We will call it in. If these guys have any savage based weaponry we don't want to lone gun it."

Jack nodded agreeing. He stood up and grabbed the handle of the passenger door. He stopped when the cruiser was bathed in white light. All three of them watched as another set of headlights came from the other end of the road. They lowered themselves into the shadows of the car to not be seen, but the car did not pass them by. It came to a stop on the other side of the street a few feet forward. The lights remained on as the passenger door opened and closed. A figured walked in front of the bright beams of the headlights. Passing shadows formed as the figure crossed the street and walked to the cruiser. Judy watched as the mammal approached her side. Nick and Jack looked to the now distinguishable timber wolf.

He got to the window and tapped on the glass. Judy cracked the window slightly; Nick moved his paw to his tranq gun. Jack began to channel energy into his palm. The wolf coughed before speaking, "Are you ok officers?"

"Yes," Judy answered, "Why are you out here sir?"

The wolf gave a chuckle. He rubbed the back of his head with a paw, "Me and some friends got a bit lost. We were trying to get to a buddy's place," He turned and looked to the clouds lingering overhead, "But the storm seems to have messed our GPS up." He turned back to Judy, "Been trying to backtrack for about twenty minutes now,"

Jack noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned slightly to see it, a flash of lightning aiding. He didn't react to the sight of more wolves shuffling through the jungle trees towards them. Acting quickly Jack dove from his spot; he shot his bolt of energy right at the key in the ignition. He fell into the area below the driver's seat. The key turned and the cruiser started. He concentrated on the mass of energy and directed it towards the gear shift. In one fluid motion the car was put into reverse and Jack slammed both of his paws onto the gas. The car lunged backwards, sending Nick and Judy forwards as the car's speed increased. The wolf standing next to the cruiser reached into his coat and pulled out a gun. He fired shots at the fleeing cruiser.

Bullets impacted the resistant windshield glass, causing it to spider web. Judy recovered and gripped the wheel, controlling the car down the road. The shot of electricity had turned on all the systems of the car. The headlights most noticeably. The radio system seemed to take a brunt from the charge and was unresponsive. Judy shouted at the rabbit at the pedals, "What are you doing?"

"Saving our lives," Jack said still in his position at the gas. He removed himself and let Judy take hold. Nick reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the beacon. He pressed another button on it, the red light became solid. He set it to the side as a pair of two headlights appeared in front of the cruiser, and gaining ground. Judy slammed on the brakes. Sending Jack tumbling back to the ground, as well as Nick. She shifted into drive, the tires spinning as she performed a U-turn. Dirt kicked up in their wake as the two pressuring cars narrowed the distance. An array of step ladder of lightning arced overhead.

Jack jumped into the seat with Nick as Judy began to drive down Arum Drive away from the two cars, which were now joined by two solitary headlights, motorcycles. The cruiser had the speed advantage over the tailing cars, but the lighter cycles could easily overtake them. Judy pressed the gas down as much as she could. The street was curved; turns taken too fast would send them tumbling off the road. And this section of the Rainforest District was edged with a steep cliff face overlooking the brown waters of the canals below. The storm overhead roared to life and rain began to blanket the ground. Judy took caution as much as she could with the now slick roads.

Jack looked to the back as more bullet fire hit the car. The back window looked like the front, and then a bullet hit a back tire. Judy fought the wheel for control of the car, a fight she was losing. Charging energy in both of his hands Jack slammed them onto the seat in front of him. He closed his eyes and felt around the car cloaked in the energy. He concentrated on the ripped wheel and pulled the broken rubber together. He also pulled some of the asphalt off of the road. He reformed the blown tire. This new one coated with the pieces of road in spikes. It had better traction and was more resilient. He called off the energy as Judy regained control of the car. She reduced her speed as a sharp bend formed in the road. The car leaned, squishing Nick and Jack against the passenger door.

Jack froze when he saw another pair of headlights emerge from the depths of the forest encircled by the bend. They were moving too fast for him to prevent what was to happen next. He released what energy he had into the front of the cruiser as the car slammed right into the side of them. The tires lost traction and the cruiser and the car were sent off the road into the rock and gravel populated area.

Jack felt weightless as they fell the short distance to the ground. He was slammed into the cushioned seat of the car. The wind was knocked out of his lungs, and he felt something pop out of place. His chest was burning as the cruiser flipped and slammed him into the ceiling. Nick was smashed on top of him. A tree was the next surface the tumbling car hit. It hit the tree at an angle that caused it to jump to the right, into another tree. Jack felt like a stuffed teddy bear in the grip of an overactive infant.

The cruiser slammed into the ground, its momentum spent as it came to a grinding halt on its roof. Jack felt warmth encapsulate his body as he felt himself no longer moving. The rain was still falling, maybe even heavier now. Over the sound of the downpour he heard glass cracking and metal creaking and scraping. He also heard rocks tumbling and smacking into each other. He picked up on another sound. The screeching of tires, gravel crunching underfoot, and the clatter of guns being loaded.

He opened his eyes and let in a breath he didn't know he was holding. The storm raged more, the bolts of lightning and booming thunder more frequent. They sounded as if they were right above them, watching the spectacle below. His lungs burned with the introduction of something that was forcefully taken from them. He lowered his breathing as he looked to the state of the cruiser. The metal wireframe partition was bent and what was currently covering him in the back of the cruiser. He couldn't see Nick or Judy from his position. He refrained from moving as he heard the footsteps of the wolves close in. He shrank into the shadows as best as he could as he heard one of the them speak. It was a gravelly voice much like the ground around them, "Check the car."

The cruiser groaned as weight was applied to the front of it. A second voice quickly responded, "They're not here."

"Fan out," the graveled voice ordered, "They couldn't have gotten far on foot. Those damn ZPD must not survive."

Several other voices confirmed the order and quickly made off from the wrecked cruiser. Jack could still sense the presence of some of the wolves. To confirm this, the obvious leader spoke, "Torch the car."

Without waiting for a response Jack heard this one walk off. He heard two wolves make their way back to the road. Seeing this as his chance to make an exit, Jack grabbed his scrap metal blanket. Electricity sparked across it as he pumped it full of energy. He released all the stored energy in one pulse forcing the ruined partition into the floor made ceiling of the cruiser. It slammed into the seats and remained there. His stunt produced very little sound, barely audible over the relentless rain and thunder. He stood up and crossed to the front of the car.

There was no sign of Judy or Nick, just as the wolves found the cruiser. Jack figured they were thrown from the wreck amidst the various tumbles it had performed. Not wishing to be found by the wolves ordered to burn the evidence; Jack exited and moved further from the road. His fur was quickly matted with water, the trees providing little shelter. He figured the two made their escape that way. He had to find them before the wolves did. The sound of a bullet firing pierced the onslaught of rain. Instinctively Jack lowered one ear and the other pivoted to locate the noise. He jumped into a sprint before his ear stopped in the direct direction of the noise.

…

Nick had come to first after the crash, a boom of thunder stirring him awake. He cursed himself for not seeing something like that coming. He was lying in the gravel beneath the small cliff the road sat on. He could see the upside down cruiser not that far away. It was battered and bent in, Bogo would not be happy they wrecked the cruiser specially made for him and Judy.

The car that had driven them off the road was wrapped around a nearby tree. No way had the driver survived that crash. He could hear cars not that far away. Even though his body protested it, he stood up. As he did he spotted Judy not that far from where he landed. He couldn't spy Jack. He didn't get that much time to search as he heard the cars closing in. He rushed forward and scooped up the limp form of Judy and ran deeper into the sparse woods. He hoped Jack was fine and able to protect himself. The cars stopped and Nick continued onwards, slipping behind a thick trunked tree. He finally got a chance to inspect himself and Judy. There were no visible bruises, but his body still hurt.

The gray rabbit in his arms began to stir. Nick set her down as she blinked her eyes. She looked to him and asked, "What happened?"

"Car crash Fluff."

She stood up, but fell to the floor grasping her left leg. Nick caught her, "You ok?"

"Yeah," Judy answered as she leaned against Nick for support. It was just like back at the Natural History Museum nearly a year ago. Nick asked, "Can you walk?"

Not answering Judy removed herself from the red fox and took a few tentative steps forward. This resulted in her falling to the ground as pain spiked up her leg again. Nick was quickly at her side, "I'll take that as a no."

"Yep," Judy seethed through the pain. Nick knelt down and scooped her up again. He held her in the cradle position and he began to walk further away from the wreck. He had to put as much distance between them and the wolves. He had to give the ZPD enough time to respond to the distress signal the beacon released before the crash happened. He maneuvered around one of the few trees. The rain was making the ground slick and mud was forming into small rivulets. Nick hoped a mudslide would not be added to the events of the day. He spoke as he trudged on, "We have to keep moving, they will find us."

"They?" Judy was still not quite awake yet.

Nick could feel his clothes already sodden with the deluge of rain the storm was producing. He answered, "Those wolves are still coming for us."

Judy did a quick look around and it finally dawned on her that there was someone missing from their party, "Where's Jack?"

"I don't know."

"You left him!"

A large bolt of lightning hit the ground nearby them. Nick jumped back, dropping Judy to the ground roughly. She gasped in pain, landing right on her injured leg. Nick's fur felt a bit puffier from the excess electricity in the air. He jumped over to Judy, picking her up again carefully. He answered, "There was no time. If I searched for him we might not have been able to get away."

"They could kill him Nick." Judy interjected fearing for the other rabbit.

"He has the Nexus he can care for himself."

The bang of a gun sounded out behind them. Nick dove to the ground as the bullet whizzed by. His arms were cut up by the rough gravel. He looked up to see a large gash marred the trunk of the tree right next to him. He looked behind him to see three wolves. All of them had guns and were training their sights right at him. Nick struggled slightly as he ran at near full speed, not caring about the terrain anymore. He heard one of the wolves shout, "They're over here."

Another bullet was embedded into a tree as Nick turned and ran further from the road, closer to the cliff that fenced him in.

…

Jack had not seen the wolves yet, but he heard them clearly now. Shots rang out every so often, but nothing followed. Nothing that he feared at least. He did not want to hear a scream of pain or a shout of satisfaction. Either meant that either Nick or Judy, or both of them, had been hit. It was troublesome to distinguish the bullets from the lightning at times. The wet terrain was also proving hard to keep pace with them. It was in the flash of lighting that he spotted something ahead, one of the wolves.

Charging up the Nexus he formed a gauntlet of crystals as he closed the distance. Jumping high he slammed his fist right down on his head. The timber wolf was brought to the ground. His face planted firmly there. Jack was sure he heard something crack. He didn't care what it was. This wolf was dangerous, planning on murdering him without mercy. Jack took the gun as his other hand was coated in crystals. He looked it over, it looked like a modified ARK 44. An automatic lethal class gun with a clip size of thirty. He snapped it half with ease and tossed pieces to the side. He continued in the direction, seeing that he was getting close, now that he was finding wolves.

Rushing towards the edge of the forest he found himself on a small cliff outcropping. It jutted from the land, the darkness blocking out the waters below. He looked at the cliff side from his vantage point. The ground sloped down to where another jut like the one he was on formed. His ears picked up another gun shot. This one was accompanied by a scream. He looked towards the cliff downhill as he saw a red figure tumble onto it. At the edge of the forest line he saw a gray one. Jack stepped to the edge, but froze up. His heart sank as he watched one of the wolves reach down and sink his sharp claws into one of Judy's legs. She screamed in pain. Nick rose from the ground, a limp on his left leg. A gash ripped through his uniform and blood was flowing from it. Quickly swept away in the rain rolling off his body. The fox jumped forward and began to claw at the larger wolf. The wolf used Judy as a club and slapped Nick with her. The fox was swept backwards onto the cliff.

The wolf tossed Judy like a doll towards the fox. She hit the ground right on her injured leg. She screamed as the injury was aggravated. Three more wolves filtered from the depths of the forest. Each with ARK 44s trained at the two cops. Nick shuffled over and grabbed Judy. Her leg was ripped and mangled. The wolf that had attacked her swatted blood coated gray fur off his claws. A crack of lightning introduced him, "It would seem that we are graced with the presence of the ZPD's finest officers tonight gentlemen."

Jack could taste the sarcasm in the tone of the voice. The wolf lifted his arms up as if presenting in front of crowd and expected a roar of applause. The other wolves gave him what he wanted. The wolf, Jack could pick up on the graveled voice, spoke, "Their finest and stupidest cops. Jumping headlong into a wolf den," he began to pace back and forth at the edge of the cliff, "You guys just don't know when to quit. And now we are going to kill you."

"What for," Judy spat out with pain.

"Don't you see actions movies Miss Hopps?"

The wolf paused expecting a response, one that no one gave. He shrugged, "If I told you my evil plan then you most certainly would escape through some convoluted way. And armed with that information you would prevent months of work from being successful."

Another pause, "So no. I won't divulge in your questioning. I'll kill you and we will slip back into the darkness allowed to complete our goals unhindered."

The wolf reached to his belt and pulled out a pistol. This one primed with bullets. A blast of thunder echoed out. He aimed at Nick first, "It's a shame, you could have been a part of this weeks ago."

The ground erupted right next to the wolf knocking him to the side. The gun clattered to the graveled floor and fell off the cliff to the waters several hundreds of feet below. The wolf fell to the ground, supporting himself on one knee to stabilize his momentum. He looked to the crater formed in the ground right where he was standing. At the center was a rabbit. A white one. His arms and legs were coated in blue crystals. The other wolves raised their guns.

Jack blasted a bolt of lightning at the three of them. Sending them flying backwards, losing the grips on their assault rifles. He rushed forward and slammed his feet into the chest of the first one to recover. He heard ribs snap as he pushed off and delivered a kick to the head of the next one. The wolf fell to the ground as the last one picked up a gun and pulled the trigger. The bullets harmlessly impacted a barrier Jack projected between him and the wolf. The wolf continued to fire, until he ran out of bullets. He looked to the ARK in his hands and then back to Jack. The rabbit smirked as he pushed his arms forward. The barrier responded by moving forward pushing the wolf off the cliff and to a deadly drop below. Jack turned to see the leader was standing between him and the fox and rabbit.

A flash of lightning lit up Jack's face. The blue glow of the crystals and the Nexus still illuminating him in the inky blackness of the storm. He spoke, "You made an unwise choice going after mammals I would give my life to protect from harm."

"And who exactly are you."

"It's like you said wolfy, why waste my time divulging that information to you when I could end it now."

"Mighty big talk from a dumb bunny."

The wolf reached to his belt and pulled out a thick serrated knife. He brandished it in his hand, the blade glowing in the dim light. Jack smirked as he did the same. A blue translucent knife befitting of his size formed in his right paw. The wolf made the first move and charged forward, and Jack mimicked. The wolf lunged forward to stab Jack, the rabbit rushed to the side with a powerful jump. He took the opportunity and planted his knife right in the wolf's leg.

The wolf jumped away from the attack. He went to grab the knife in him, but he only grabbed at blue smoke as the blade dissipated in the air. He looked to Jack to see a new knife had already replaced it. The wolf snarled, "Nice parlor trick rodent."

The wolf remained resolute, waiting for Jack to move this time. Jack stole a quick glance at Nick and Judy. They were still where they were. Nick was watching trying to tend to Judy's wounds. His efforts having little to no effect. Judy looked to be on the cusp of unconsciousness. If the blood loss was not stopped soon she would have no chance of survival. Jack had to end this now. He rushed forward. The wolf grinned with his white fangs as he mimicked Jacks movement.

The wolf went to strike right at Jack with his knife, but his blade never made contact. He sliced the ground as Jack dove right between his legs. The wolf heard movement behind him. He turned to see Jack had jumped up and he slam the knife right into his chest.

Jack stepped down as the wolf reach to the knife. It evaporated into blue mist and left the open wound. Blood poured from the cut as the wolf felt to his knees. Jack spoke, "You picked the wrong rabbit to mess with."

The wolf looked to Jack, "W-What are you?"

Jack closed the gap. He looked the wolf dead in the eye, "I'm just a dumb bunny."

Jack fired a large bolt of energy right into the fresh wound. A loud boom of thunder rocked the forest. In the distance unstable land gave way and cascaded off another cliff side. A few of the trees behind the wolf began to be wrapped with orange flames. Flames that had trouble spreading over the wet wood and endless rain. A cauterized hole, far larger than the one he put through Hoover, now adorned the chest of the wolf. His lifeless eyes gazing off into the distance. His body fell to the side.

Jack turned to see Nick and Judy look on with a multitude of expressions on their faces. Fear, shock, amazement; were a few that Jack could pick up on as he walked towards them. A blue dome formed over the three of them making an umbrella; shielding them from the rain. He knelt down next to them, "Are you guys ok?"

"You killed them." Judy stated.

Jack rolled his eyes and he channeled energy into his palms. The crystals had receded. His paws glowed a soft gold as he spoke, "Give me your leg Judy."

"What for?" She was hesitant to go near the rabbit after the display. Jack sighed, "It was because of me one Judy's life was ruined. I can stop you from losing yours."

"How?" Nick asked.

"The Nexus has healing capabilities," Ness spoke up, "It can heal cuts, bruises, and gashes. Minor injuries, major are out of the question."

Judy looked to Jack. Without a word she presented her damaged leg. Jack gingerly placed his hands on the blood soaked fur. Still Judy protested the contact with a hiss of pain. She began to scream as warmth encapsulated her left leg. She watched as the blood faded away and the flesh began to stitch itself back together. It was still a painful process, but it was over soon. She flexed the limb as the heat faded away. There was still pain, but duller now. There were patches where fur was missing and still marks of the wolf claws.

Jack turned to Nick as the glow returned to his paws, "How 'bout it Nick?"

Nick set Judy to the side as he presented his still bleeding bullet gash. Nick didn't show any signs of pain as the abrasion was healed. Jack stood back up after the process was over. He looked to the two, "Are you able to walk."

Nick answered by getting up himself. Judy still leaned against Nick for support, but fell to the floor when she tried to walk. Nick caught her and scooped her back into a cradle hold. Jack spoke, "You might have to go to a hospital Judy. I can heal as much as I can, but if there was anything that happens to the bone I can't fix that."

"Fine," she answered, "Let's just get back to the road. Back-up should be here soon."

With no other objections Jack took the lead with Nick holding Judy right behind him. The blue barrier umbrella hovering over them as they walked back into the forest and towards the road.


	12. Chapter 12: Off the Case

**AN:** First I'd like to thank Gamer4COD for their feedback. I have made edits where I saw necessary in the published chapters. I appreciate any and all feedback. It helps me as writer and helps this story be better for all of you.

And to answer the guest question. The short answer is yes. The long answer is that Jack is not well versed with the Nexus yet to do so. He has had the Nexus for a short time, not long enough to fully use all of its core functions. I planned that as the story progressed we would see Jack get more accustomed to the Nexus and be able to do greater feats. It cannot generate ordinary matter, Jack can't hold out his hand and a lump of gold would appear. Neither could a suit of iron armor envelop him. It can only really create the crystal like matter that Jack has had on his legs and arms. He could also pull some nearby matter and create armor that way. The one drawback is the energy consumption. The larger the feat, like a full suit of armor, requires far more energy to use and maintain it. And the Nexus stores energy as surface area. And since Jack is a small bunny there is very little surface area for him to allow for it to store proper reserves of energy to do so. I hope this answers the question and clears up any confusion on the matter.

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **Off the Case**

The rain had lessened to a drizzle as the rabbits and fox saw several emergency lights light up the dark jungle around them. The black forest was now lit by flashing reds and blues. Several police cruisers, two ambulances, and even a fire truck made up the convergence of emergency vehicles. They had not seen any more wolves as they trekked back to the road. They had walked back towards where the chase began when they heard the police sirens first. They stopped on the edge of the road and waited for them to arrive. After a few words were exchanged some of the cruisers and the fire truck went up to the road following Jack's directions.

Judy was in the back of one of the ambulances with an otter nurse looking her over. Nick sat on the edge of the truck with a gray trauma blanket wrapped around him. Jack sat next to him; he declined the blanket that had been offered to him. It was off to his right. A faint boom of thunder rang out in the distance as the storm moved away from the Rainforest District and more inland. A shadow formed in the light filtering from the back of the ambulance. Jack and Nick looked to the towering Bogo.

The buffalo broke the silence, "Would either of you two care to explain?"

Nick and Jack looked to each other, exchanging the glance without a word. They looked back to Bogo, Jack beat Nick to the punch, "It's all my fault Bogo."

The cape buffalo looked suspiciously at Jack, "How so Savage?"

"It's not sir," Nick interjected. The red fox had dislodged himself from the back of the ambulance discarding the thick blanket. He stumbled on the landing, but recovered.

Bogo looked to his officer, "I still am not sure what went on here Wilde. All I have heard is your cruiser is now a smoldering skeleton of what it once was. Hopps and you are both injured from wolves armed with lethals. And I have not heard a reason as to why this all happened."

"I led them here," Jack chimed in. He stepped off the ambulance, "I found a lead to the Elkson case back in Tundratown that led us to here. But when we arrived we were ambushed by those wolves. We tried to escape, but they crashed us off the road. They were planning on killing both Hopps and Wilde. Me as well if they knew I was here. It was because of me that your officers are still alive and that we know this case is far beyond a simple copycat."

"How so?" Bogo pondered the last bit Jack stated.

"It's because of the wolves. If they were all armed with lethals then they must be well financed. They must have plans probably on the same scale as the whole Bellwether thing. Not just a simple copycat wishing for infamy and disorder."

"Excuse me Chief Bogo." Bogo's response was interrupted by the nurse making a presence at the end of the ambulance. The three animals in her company turned as she continued, "It would seem that Officer Hopps has some severe fractures on several of her bones of the damaged leg. As well some others that need attention at a hospital. We have to take her as soon as possible to set and correct them."

"That's fine." The buffalo responded.

Without a word the back of the ambulance closed, the lights turned on and it made its exit. The siren blared to life as it left the back road and entered the main ones of the Canal District. Once it was gone Bogo looked back to Jack and Nick, "If everything is as you say, then the decision is final."

"What decision sir," Nick asked.

"You and Hopps are off the case. It will be going to the HICU to take over fully at this point."

"You can't do that!" Nick tried to protest the Chief.

Bogo looked to the red fox in front of him. His face plastered with a look that read, don't test me Wilde. But that was exactly what Nick did, "Just because of what happened you can't take us off."

"Actually, I believe I have the authority to dismiss you from the case."

The party turned to see the newest addition. Standing before them was an elephant. He was not dressed as an officer; instead he wore black dress pants and a solid oxblood button-down shirt. He looked down at the party with eyes that matched his skin; then singled out Nick, "Officer Wilde I have the express authority to take you off the case. Given that Bogo took it from my department without first consulting me." He looked to Bogo. Nick interrupted the elephant's speech, "Who are you exactly."

Bogo seemed to emanate an aura of anger as the elephant simply sighed, "I don't expect you to recognize me, Hopps might."

He held out a stumped arm, "The name is Darius Grey, Head of the HICU."

Bogo gripped his wrist and gave it a shake. Nick followed the action, to the best of his ability with his far smaller paw. Jack elected to stand on the sidelines of this conversation till he became relevant. Bogo spoke, "I'm sorry if this cut into your schedule Darius."

"Not at all Bogo," the elephant gave a dismissive wave of his arm, "It's a good distraction from all of the problems still going on setting up our headquarters."

"Demolition still not going to plan?" Bogo asked.

Darius answered with a sigh, "You don't know how many codes that damn Cliffside violated, no wonder the place was shut down."

"Cliffside Asylum?" Nick asked.

"The very one," Darius confirmed, "The HICU needed a base of operations, why not the old building that was the root of our founding so to speak."

"A little bit too poetic," Jack added from the side.

"I think so too," Darius agreed looking at the rabbit, "But Mayor Malay made the decision; we have to follow that order."

There was a pause before Darius continued, "And who exactly are you?"

"Jack Savage," Jack presented his hand, which Darius completely shadowed as he allowed Jack to grip it and give a shake.

"And how are you involved in all of this Mister Savage?"

"He's a consultant that is helping us with the case," Nick answered.

"Very well," Darius accepted, "He was," the elephant corrected, "come tomorrow the HICU will take it over and continue the investigation."

"And why are we being taken off the case?" Nick wanted an answer, "I may not be so upset, but Judy will be when she finds out."

"It's simply as Savage said," Darius answered, "This doesn't look like the copycat case that was first assumed and may be exactly why the HICU was formed. We don't want another Bellwether incident on our paws."

"But it was a cop like Judy that solved the Night Howler case." Nick clarified.

"That may be the case," Darius countered, "But that was before such a thing like the HICU existed."

Darius paused before continuing, "I don't want to make an enemy of you Mister Wilde. But as the head of the HICU I have to step in when I have to. If I didn't the mayor would see it as us not doing the job it was created for."

Nick didn't answer. Seeing one not coming Darius asked, "Why don't we all see what sort of base of operations these wolves had."

He clapped his arms as he turned away. He walked up the road not waiting for the others to follow. Bogo left to join the elephant, but not before glaring daggers at Nick and Jack. Jack looked to the vulpine, who looked at him. They didn't exchange anything as they rushed to catch up to the larger mammals.

Sensing their presence Darius asked, "Did those wolves divulge into any information about their plans."

"Nope." Nick simply responded.

"Nothing?" Darius asked a bit skeptical.

"Not a thing, they were more of the shoot first talk later type of wolves." Nick clarified.

"Very well." Darius dropped the topic as they arrived at the cut in the tree line. It was the very path they had found before when the wolves attacked. This time the party of four made their way up the path surrounded by a wall of trees. The foliage became sparse not that long later as an artificial clearing appeared before them. This was tightly encircled by the jungle. In the center of it sat the foundation to a small building. About five hundred square feet.

But there were no remains of the building left. All that was left was a black charred burned husk of what once sat in the center of the clearing. The embers were still glowing. The rain had dissipated, thus prolonging the life of the fire, but even with the rain it was still able to burn down what once stood here.

A few firefighters were standing along the outskirts of the charred remains, the truck not that far from them. They were watching to make sure no wayward sparks made their way to the rest of the forest. Darius looked to the ruins, "It would seem these timbers are quite experience."

"Arson to hide the evidence," Jack chimed in.

"Very true," Darius commented as he walked away from the group and towards one of the fire fighters.

Bogo waited till the elephant was out of earshot. He turned to face the rabbit and fox, "You got five minutes."

Without exchanging another word he walked to join Darius. Taking it as their queue Nick and Jack rushed towards the burned structure. They were not near any of the other occupants of the clearing. No one had noticed them. Kneeling down Jack tapped the Nexus and its screen lit up. Ness spoke up, "Yes Jack?"

Not wasting a second Jack held his hand out and scanning beams erupted from the device. They rolled over the foundation as Jack asked, "Can you reconstruct a burned building?"

"Physically or in hologram?"

"I need a hologram around the Nexus."

"Small hologram it is." Ness confirmed.

The two watched as a flat square plate formed in the air over the Nexus. As the scans continued the foundation rose from the wireframe structure. As more seconds passed the hologram began to form into a building. The scanning beams died down and receded into the Nexus. As it came to a stop Ness chimed in, "I can't create an exact replica of it. Material was lost in the fire so I can't perfectly account for the once standing structure. But may I ask why?"

"What can you tell us about the building?" Nick asked.

"Well Officer Wilde," Ness began "It has a concrete basement foundation," the hologram came apart to show the two floors of the building. The lower one increased in size while the second remained small.

"This is well preserved due to the flame retardance. Nevertheless I can't pick up on anything besides a few remains of furniture and some metal scraps and some basic mechanical tools. The basement served as some sort of workshop. The main floor," the basement shrank and top floor increase in size this time, "I can't pick up much on. I can't separate what was wall, roof, or flooring to anything that could have existed on the floor before the building was set ablaze."

"Thanks Ness," Jack spoke, "That's all."

"Very good Jack," Ness responded as the screen returned to black. Jack stood back up, Nick followed. The rabbit looked to see Bogo was still talking with Darius. He looked to Nick and asked, "Can you make anything of that?"

"Not more than the obvious," Nick looked to the dying embers, "These guys must have cleared shop the instant we arrived. Tried to leave as little evidence as possible as they burned the place to the ground. There is no way we can figure out their next move."

"We can't do anything more about the case anyway," Jack added, "The HICU is taking the reins. You and Judy will probably both be off duty till you both recover."

"You're probably right." Nick agreed, his ears falling back a bit. He perked up fast, turning to Jack, "Let's just get out of here. I think Buffalo Butt is going to make me go to the hospital whether I like it or not."

Jack didn't give an answer back as they walked back towards the buffalo and elephant.

…

A solitary medium sized mammal leaned on the edge of metal scaffolding that loomed several yards above the hard floor below. The mammal was cloaked in the darkness of the steel building. Every window had been covered up in the hangar like structure. It stretched for nearly five hundred feet in both directions. As well as about one hundred fifty feet from wall to wall. The ceiling was made of a curved dome. The mammal looked down as sparks of acetylene torches blazed to life in several different locations along a massive structure contained by the hangar. They were like fireflies almost. The structure contained by the building was completely covered with high power portable lights. The entire gray metal flat top of it was lit up. A large square pit in the very center of it, right below the mammal, was gouged into the once pristine metal. Most of the torches were concentrated in the empty hole.

The mammal observed several other animals below moving to and fro moving several different pieces of equipment. Most of which was for the torch bearers to continuing their work without taking much pause. He was pulled from his observations by someone else walking towards him along the narrow walkway. He dislodged himself from the edge and looked to the smaller mammal, "What can you tell me about our boys in the jungle?"

"They got the equipment out and are moving it to the other warehouse sir."

"And the cops that found them?"

There was a pause. The larger of the too cast a gaze in the darkness. A gaze that could not be seen, but sensed none the less. The smaller mammal gulped as he meekly answered, "They failed sir. Some of our men were killed."

"Failed." The mammal stated back. He cared more about the former statement than the latter. He nodded his head slightly yes as he turned away and looked to the structure below, "Tell be Albert, do I like failure?"

"No sir," Albert quickly answered.

"Right, I don't," He paused before continuing, "Failure is one thing we have to deal without you stupid badger."

The honey badger gave no response as his boss continued, "We have been working tirelessly for months for our operation to come to fruition. And when it is less than a week from us, two rodent cops nearly stop the entire enterprise."

The larger animal turned back to Albert, "We now have to speed up our clock."

"But sir, we are already-"

The leader raised a paw for Albert to stop. To which he obliged. He spoke with a bit more annoyance in his tone, "I don't care about the work hours. If we don't get this thing built within the next day we won't have another chance."

"But what about testing it?"

"The second test will be tomorrow. Go get the boys and the device ready for deployment."

"Yes sir," Albert gave a bow and quickly ran back down the scaffolding.

The lone mammal gave a sigh as he returned to his position. He continued to watch the work below as a crane began to lower a large black cylinder into the pit. A buzzing in his pocket attracted his attention. He fished the phone from his right pocket and looked to the home screen. The number was blocked, but he knew very well who was calling him. He accepted the call and moved the phone to his ear and spoke first, "Any news for me director?"

The caller gave his response.

The mammal responded, "I should hope so. It cost them their lives."

A garbled question sounded from the phone.

"Yes. I'm sending the team out soon to set it up."

Another question came.

"One of them was hospitalized right?"

The caller clarified.

"How severe?"

An answer came from the caller.

"That can't be done. Which one was more injured?"

A one word response came through the phone.

"Then this will work in our favor. I'll tell them to make a little trip in after the thing is ready go. Give her a front row seat to what we have cooked up for this accursed city."

The caller asked another question.

"We will be rushing the finishing of it. The device will be finished tonight. I want to go at the first rays of light after tomorrow."

Another question followed.

"I know it is going to work. If the test today was any indication. I designed the damned thing. This time it will be more than just one moose."

The caller sent another question into the conversation.

"No, just get here around noon. Don't want you to be anywhere near the city right."

The caller agreed and said his goodbyes.

"And you too." He lifted the phone from his ear and ended the call. He put his phone back where it once was and returned to watching the cylinder being turned upright and lowered further into the pit. A smiled filled with sharp teeth formed on his face, "Soon Zootopia, very soon."

He removed himself from the railing and walked down the scaffolding.


	13. Chapter 13: Grim

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **Grim**

After being taken off the case, Nick was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries. Jack accompanied him. It didn't take that long. There were a few cuts and abrasions that had to be attended to. They were out of Rainforest Regional in less than two hours. A fellow officer was there to drive them back to Nick's apartment. It was still dark out; the moon had begun its descent when the cruiser stopped on the side of the road. The door opened as Nick thanked the officer. Nick stood on the sidewalk as Jack removed himself from the same seat. The officer said his goodbye and drove off. They were still in the Rainforest district, a lower middle income area. It wasn't a slum, but it wasn't that far from it.

Jack looked to the building they arrived in front of. It was a bland brown brick flat three story building. There was no indication that it was even an apartment building. He never knew where his Nick set up his den, but seeing the very few differences between the two worlds he assumed it might very well be the same. Nick didn't say anything as he walked to the glass front door. He fished a key out of his pocket and undid the locked door. Nick looked back to Jack, "Come on Stripes."

"Stripes?" Jack asked as he walked through the door Nick held open, "Is that my nickname now?"

"I was gonna go with Zebra, but I felt Stripes was better."

The lobby was a white tiled, white walled hallway. There were signs of neglect. A closed window sat right next to the front entrance. A small sign above the door read _Office_. Nick walked past the office entrance and towards a door labeled _Stairwell_. There was no elevator. Jack caught up to Nick and asked, "What floor?"

"Second." Nick answered as he began to ascend the creaking stairs. Jack followed right behind him.

Jack wasn't sure what to say. Him and Nick didn't exchange that many words after they left the crime scene. Nothing was said at the hospital, nor in the car ride here. Jack didn't know what to to talk about, what to start a conversation with. He knew Nick was hurting, Judy his partner and noticeably best friend was injured. She almost died. Jack was partly to blame, he knew he was. He led them towards that fate. If he never found that paw print they would have never ended up on Arum Drive.

The case might have ended there. The HICU might not have taken Nick and Judy off the case. Even though he said he didn't care, Jack still felt that Nick did. And now he can't do anything to catch the bastards that hurt Judy. Again he was the cause of another Judy's injuries. No matter how much he tried to make himself into a better mammal he always found some way to make shit hit the fan. Jack's ears feel down as they reached the second floor. It was a wooden hallway with plain tan walls. Two single wooden doors marked the rooms on the floor. Nick went to the left one, Jack followed.

Nick unlocked the door and allowed the rabbit to pass. Nick clicked a switch and bathed the room in yellow light from and aged set of four lights from a ceiling fan in the middle of the main room. One of the bulbs decided it was then that it would die. It was a small apartment, even for the smaller stature for the two of them. It was made for smaller mammals, so it fit Nick's size. The floor was hardwood, with an old moth eaten rug in the center. The walls were plain white, Nick obviously never opting to paint them. There were a few posters of some bands that Jack did recognize. Rolling Shrews, Lead Zebra, and Antlersmith were the ones he could see. A green couch sat on the edge of the rug and faced an old tube TV on a small end table. Another matching end table sat on the right of the couch.

A kitchenette sat on the right hidden in slight darkness from the old light. The floor turned to pale blue tiles. A half wall made into a counter separated it from the main room. He couldn't really see into the enclosure. A closed door sat off to the right of the kitchenette and another sat on the opposite wall. Nick walked to the kitchen as he spoke, "I know it ain't much but it's home."

Jack waited to speak. Nick entered the kitchen, turning on a light in there. He began to dig around a draw. Jack spoke up, "Are you ok Nick?"

"I can't be?" Nick responded returning to his task.

Jack stepped closer, "I know you Nick. I know when you try to dodge questions."

"I'm not dodging Stripes." Nick punctuated pulling out a slightly cloudy glass up and slamming it on the counter. He turned away quickly and towards a sink with a few plates still waiting to be washed.

"If you want me to leave I can Nick." Jack suggested stepping away and towards the door.

Nick began to fill the glass with water from the tap. But stopped, allowing it to overflow onto the dirty dishes. His ears fell down and he let out a heavy sigh. Jack paused in his motions as he watched the vulpine. Nick dropped the glass, but remained slumped over the sink, the water still running. Seconds that felt like hours passed before Nick broke the silence, "How did your Nick become a cop?"

Jack gave a small huh in response. Nick clarified, "If your Judy never became a cop," Nick turned to face Jack, "then how did your Nick become a cop?"

Jack looked Nick dead on. His face had fallen. As if he removed the mask of smug and con-artistry he almost always held up. He looked pained, sorrowful. Jack never saw Nick like this. Jack answered, "He told me it happened when he was a pup. He wanted to join the-"

"Junior Ranger Scouts." Nick finished cutting Jack off.

"The same thing happened to you?" Jack assumed.

"If that you mean they tackled him to the floor and forced a muzzle at him," Nick stated moving to the couch and landing right on it, "Then yes."

"They laughed at him to the point he nearly broke tears."

"Yep."

"All because he was a fox."

"That they can never be trusted and better off muzzled."

"I'm sorry Nick."

"You didn't do it." Nick answered with a shrug.

"Not about that," Jack corrected, "About today. About me intruding in your life."

"Why are you sorry about that?"

Jack looked at the sitting fox, "It's because of me this whole mess occurred today. It's because of me Judy is in the hospital. You are hurt. The case has been taken from the ZPD. The bad guys got away. There's more there obviously."

Jack finished turning away from the fox. Nick removed himself from the couch, "Did he vow from that day to make sure no other mammal would be treated as he was?"

"What?" Jack asked turning back to Nick.

"Your Nick," Nick stated as if it was clear, "Did he decide that day that no other mammal, pred or even prey, would ever undergo the same treatment as he did by those jerks?"

"That's what he said." Jack answered.

Nick gave a half laugh. Jack cocked his head to the side, "What's so amusing?"

"The idea crossed my mind that day too."

"If you had the idea, then why didn't go for it?"

"I was too focused on the treatment of me and other foxes. I buried that idea deep down that day. Never thought of it again until the day Judy forced herself into my life."

"So without Judy?"

"I'd probably still be on the street, conning mammals out of their money. Making the laundry list rap for foxes longer each second I was out there. Stuck for the rest of my days no doubt."

"Do you really think Judy had that much of an influence on you?"

"You'd be surprise what that rabbit can do," Nick answered as he walked back to the kitchen and shut off the water. He emptied the cup slightly and returned. He set the cup on the counter as he spoke, "Why do you always blame yourself for everything bad that goes on?"

"Because I usually am the cause of it," Jack stated turning away, "No lucky rabbit's foot here." Jack shook one of his feet to emphasize the point.

"You really have to stop belittling yourself." Nick countered, "You will never be able to achieve anything if you just keep on pushing yourself back down. You always see yourself as the bad guy."

"Because I am the bad guy," Jack said turning back, "I'm always the bad guy. I'm the murder, I'm the grim reaper. Wherever I go death and misfortune follows. Just today I killed probably five mammals. Nearly half my kill count already. Judy and you are injured. And I ruined the case."

"The grim reaper's a bit of an extreme don't you think?"

"It's not if it's true. I hold a weapon of mass destruction," Jack lifted up his arm to show the Nexus, "I've seen what this can do."

"What do you mean?"

Jack activated the Nexus and projected a hologram of exactly what he was thinking. He lowered the light level of the old lights. The wireframe hologram was red, no longer the classic blue. It filled the entire room. The hologram began to take on the exact look as Jack recalled the memory from his mind. Nick stood on the cleaner edge, on black rocks. Jack projected the main event right around him. Just as he found it back in his world. He stood amongst the picture of the flesh and muscle turned into red goop. Bones and skulls peppered the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room. Behind Jack the burned flat wall of the cavern. Nick looked at the entire scene with wide eyes. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to say something, anything.

Jack spoke first, "I found this the night I stole the Nexus. It is a cavern room completely coated in the remains of seven mammals by my count."

"You killed them?" Nick finally asked. He looked away from the massacre and to Jack.

"I didn't," Jack paused as he looked to the Nexus. It was glowing red now, "But the Nexus did. It is a weapon that kills."

He looked back up to Nick, "It is my scythe."

The picture faded to a wireframe and then dissolved. The lights returned to their low strength. The Nexus turned back to blue. Jack still looked to Nick, "I have caused enough pain to you, Judy, everyone, this entire world. It would be better off if I left."

Jack moved to the door. Nick shouted back, "So you are just going to leave!"

Jack stopped at the door. His ears wanted to go lower, but they couldn't. He looked to the floor as Nick continued, "As soon as it gets tough you quit. Leave the destruction in your wake. Disappear before the dust settles."

Jack remained silent. "And completely give up on returning to your world."

Still no answer came from the rabbit. "Because you know damn well what will happen if you jump again."

"It's like I said Nick," Jack grabbed the knob and opened the door. He stepped through the doorframe. He cast one glance at the red fox, "I'm the grim reaper. Leaving destruction in my wake is exactly what I do."

He shut the door before Nick could respond and he hurried his way towards the stairs. As he ran down them he heard the door slam open, "Stripes!"

Jack made it to the first floor and rushed towards the entrance. He heard Nick on the stairs, "Savage!"

Jack forced the door open. He turned back and concentrated his energy on the glass door. It shined blue as a barrier reinforced it. Nick appeared in the lobby. He reached for the door, but it would not budge. He banged on it. A muffled scream came through the glowing barrier, "Jack!"

"Goodbye Nick." Jack turned away and ran down the street.


	14. Chapter 14: The Runaway Rabbit

**AN:** I'd like to apologize about the slight delay with the release of this chapter. I had some personal business, as did my proofreader, that delayed both of us getting this chapter done. I am extremely happy for the milestones The Runaway Rabbit has passed. Over 4000 views, 1500 visitors, 25 follows, and 15 favorites. I know these numbers may seem small to some, but I just enjoy seeing any new person take a look at this story. Follows and favorites make my day and I hope for more people to enjoy this story as it continues.

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 **The Runaway Rabbit**

Jack had turned off the main road and was running through the overgrown forest. He trekked uphill cutting across dead streets as he put as much distance between him and the fox. He could still sense the barrier he had erected. He could still feel Nick bashing at it, trying to break it down. The fox was making no headway. No longer having the spirit in him Jack collapsed next to an old rotten log. He lowered the barrier, setting Nick free. But he had put as much distance as he could muster. The fox could not find him, not for a while at least. If he ever could.

Jack looked down to the still active Nexus. Ness chimed in right on time, "Jack-"

"Shut the hell up Ness," Jack cut off the computer as he leaned back against the log. Jack brought the Nexus up, "Prepare a jump."

"I can't allow that sir."

"I don't care what you think! You follow my orders and I order you to prepare a jump."

Jack could feel the energy begin to charge up. Ness still spoke up, "You are making a mistake Jack."

"The mistake was staying here. I should have just jumped back in the alley."

"Would it really have been for the better?"

"Any world is better off without me on it Ness."

"You can't just leave Nick and Judy like this."

"Why not? They got the better end of the deal compared to my Judy and Nick."

"I may be just a computer, but I know what is right in a situation."

"You only think what is logical Ness."

"Logical can still be right."

"Well this time you are wrong." Jack said standing up. He felt the energy in his paw had built up enough. He began to concentrate as he prepared the jump. Ness spoke up again, "If you go through with this you will never be able to get home. The calculations I've been doing won't matter anymore."

"I don't want to return to that place anymore. I'll keep on jumping till I find a world where I can't ruin anymore lives."

Jack released the energy. A ball of lightning formed around him. He felt weightless as space morphed around him. And then he fell. Jack's eyes snapped open to see he was now several thousands of feet in the sky. He spread his body flat to create as much drag as possible. The ground below was completely lit up below him. He saw the entire sprawling metropolis of Zootopia below him. The Zootopia he just tried jumped from. He pulled the Nexus up, "What the hell Ness!"

"I can't let you leave."

"The hell you can," Jack grabbed at the watch trying to remove it from his body, but it would not budge.

"I won't let you do this Jack." Ness spoke. Jack watched as beams of light erupted from the Nexus and into the air in front of him. Jack looked to a blue mirror image of himself. Its lips moved as Ness' voice was projected from it, "You can't just run away from all of this. Why do you wish to always run?"

Jack gave up trying to remove the Nexus as he continued to fall. He looked away from the image, but he still felt its animated gaze on him. The clouds were far below him. It would take a minute or two before he hit the ground making a nice rabbit splotch mark somewhere in Zootopia. From his vantage he looked to be right over Downtown. Jack answered, "Because I always find a way to screw things up. It's better if I don't stick around. Now the Nexus gives me to perfect way to do that."

"That's not what it was designed for."

"I know it was a weapon." Jack corrected himself.

"No," Ness corrected, "The weapon capabilities were for protecting the user. It was made with the intention of bettering not just your world, but any world."

Jack turned back to Ness, "Then explain what was in that cave back there."

In response the Nexus projected the same scene it had just did in Nick's apartment around the two rabbits. Ness looked to the hologram as it finally loaded. Ness looked back to Jack, then to the floor. The hologram followed pace with them as they continued to fall. Ness spoke up, "I know the logic points to the Nexus being connected to that event, but like I said there are portions of my data files missing."

Ness looked back to Jack, "Data on the event, my creation, even my development. All of that are missing. Redacted for whatever reason. That cave is a part of that somehow. I had no knowledge of that till you saw it and I connected with your mind."

"So your plan of being a device for world betterment seems to be flawed," Jack countered.

"Why so?" Ness cocked his head to the side.

"Because I'm the worst mammal to choose for a goal like that."

"And why's that." Ness asked sternly.

"You know exactly why Ness. You know everything about me."

"Yes I do, but I want to hear it from you."

"Why does it matter" Jack tried derailed the conversation, "I'm going to be a rabbit pancake soon."

"No you aren't", Ness stated with a snap of his holographic fingers. In response another ball of electricity enveloped Jack. It evaporated quickly and showed he was once again at the height he started his fall at. It started all again. Jack looked to the hologram, "Taking me out of the controls of the Nexus?"

"The protocol was created in the event the user became uncooperative."

"Is that what I am now?" Jack asked with an annoyed tone.

"I can't allow you to do what you want. You can't just keep running Jack, it won't solve anything."

"Then I guess we'll just keep on falling for the rest of my life."

Ness didn't respond. The silence was filled with the howling of the wind as Jack reach terminal velocity. He was still far above the clouds. Ness would no doubt teleport him back up again as the ground neared. Jack sighed as he turned around, cupping his hands behind his head as he looked to the sky above him. Far from the light pollution below he saw the night sky almost as it was before fire was created. Seeing as Ness wasn't talking Jack spoke, "You will most likely run out of power soon."

It was true. He had not gotten a chance to charge the Nexus up at all since he arrived in this Zootopia. He didn't know exactly how much power it had left, but he looked to see it had decreased in size already. It still coated a good portion of his arm, but he wasn't sure how long that would be. Ness hovered over to Jack's side and mimicked his position. He spoke up, "Then I guess you will get your wish of killing yourself."

"Better dead then held captive by my watch."

"Why are you so against staying?"

"Because I will only cause more pain for Judy and Nick."

"You will cause unbelievable pain if you leave right now."

"Less than I did to my Judy."

"You can't just pack up and leave." Ness stood up, "You will always leave your mark. No matter where you go you will affect the lives of other mammals. No mammal can exist without others. You are social creatures. No matter how much you crave solitude you will still crave contact. It is not the answer. You try to distance yourself from mammals because you don't want to hurt them. Just like those you held dear; your mother, Valentine. They used you, threw you away like garbage. Treated you like nothing. But relationships are messy. Animals get hurt, it's natural. But you don't just run away with the knife, you stick around. Tend to the wound, and let it heal."

Ness remained silent after his speech. Jack didn't respond. He continued to look up at the sky as he hurtled to the ground. The clouds were not that far off, Ness would have to teleport him soon. He tried to think over what Ness said, but his anger was overshadowing any thought process. He was angry at Ness, Nick, himself, the world, Judy-

No, he could never be mad at Judy. Jack looked to the sky above as a shooting star came to life and shot across the sea of stars before dying. Its signature was still there for a few seconds as it began to fade away. His eyes opened wide as he realized something. He turned himself around and looked to Ness. The clouds were under a hundred feet away this time. He spoke up, "Anyone leaves a signature."

Ness blinked his eyes. He was startled with the question, "What?"

"You said anyone leaves a signature right?"

"Yes, why Jack?"

"Even those wolves?"

"They burned down the building, they left no trace."

"No visible trace, but what about one only we can track."

"Excuse me sir?"

"We hacked into CCTVs," Jack explained as he turned back around. He looked to the stars and found what he was looking for. A small moving speck of light across the vast sea of stars, "How about a satellite."

Ness looked up to what Jack was seeing. He let off a smile before dropping the hologram. Jack watched it recede into the Nexus. He felt himself beginning to slow down. He looked to see a blue aura encapsulate him. He felt his velocity decrease as he reached the tops of the clouds. His momentum ceased as he now floated amongst plumes of condensation. The aura persisted as he reached out and touched one of the clouds. His paw gained moisture as a groove was etched into the fluffy cloud of water. Ness spoke up, "You mean hack a satellite to look through its data to see what happened at Arum Drive during the chase?"

"Can it be done?" Jack asked withdrawing his arm.

"I'll have to search all of the satellites in the nearby sky."

"And?"

"If I can find them yes, but I will need more power to do so."

"Then teleport us to the ground, Zootopia is power rich."

"May I take this as your agreement not to leave?"

"Only if it works." Jack answered bemused.

"I won't be getting anything better than that." Ness stated flatly.

The ball of lighting returned and Jack felt his body pulled as he was teleported yet again. His vision returned; he found himself standing on a flat rooftop. The floor was made of gravel. He moved to the edge to see a nearly desolate street. A car drove passed the building he stood on top of. It looked to be some random street in the middle of Savanna Central. But he could just barely make out Precinct One a few blocks down. He looked across the street to see a gas station with a bright neon sigh broadcasting its locating. Seeing that as the best candidate Jack leapt off the top of the building. He slowed his descent with a crystal coated arm etching down the side of the building. He touched down on the sidewalk gracefully. He retracted the gauntlet, happy to have control of the Nexus once again.

With no cars around he rushed across the street and to the empty gas station. He stood on the edge of the asphalt, right underneath the sign labeled _Shellfish_. It was a red outlined sign with a yellow inside made to look like a clam shell. Jack grabbed the base of the white painted metal pole with his right arm. He watched as the sign dimmed till it was off. The extracted energy ran down the side of the pole in the familiar blue tendrils. The tentacles of energy didn't stop growing as all of the energy still going to the sign to illuminate it was being drawn into them as they migrated towards the Nexus.

They reached their target and were fused into the solid material of the watch. Jack saw it expand. It went down his forearm to his elbow. It then covered the back of his hand and continued to cover the rest of his paw. Seeing it fit, Jack removed his hand from the pole, cutting off the energy transfer. The tendrils were cut short and the sign began to light up again. The blue tatters of energy leftover still merged with the Nexus as it formed and elbow guard. It finally halted in its growth halfway to Jack's shoulder. Once the process was done Jack asked, "Is that enough for you?"

"Plenty." Ness answered as the waves of energy returned. Jack saw it fit to reach his arm up and point right at the sky. He could feel the energy being drained as Ness worked. Ness spoke aloud as he processed the request, "Twenty-Six satellites were in range of the area during the course of the event. A dozen of them have camera based software. Seven were pointed at the planet."

"Anything useful?" Jack asked.

"I believe so, how 'bout a jump to the scene."

"I'm ready if you are."

Ness followed the request and teleported Jack yet again. Jack's vision was filled with a familiar sight. He was back in the clearing where the burned down structure was. This time the area was devoid of visitors. No more fire fighters, police, or HICU agents. The embers were long since dead. Jack approached the foundation as he called the Nexus to create a projection. This one covered the entire area. He watched as the wireframe was replaced with images Ness was pulling directly from the satellites. He watched the building slowly rebuild itself. Once done Ness spoke, "I was able to reconstruct the scene as best as possible. This is just after the chase started."

"Play at a half a second per second." Jack ordered as he walked to the front of the building.

"Yes Jack," Ness confirmed and the projection came to life.

The several hundred pictures that created the hologram flashed to static every once in awhile as the Nexus was stretched to its computing power. Jack stood at the front door as he saw four figures emerge from the passage carved from the road. Ness cleaned them up to show four wolves. They walked passed Jack and into the building, phasing through the door rather than it animated. After a minute or so passed in the replay Jack was bathed in white light. He turned around to see a car with its headlights on make its way into the clearing. A solitary motorcycle also joined it. The car stopped not that far from the front of the building. A wolf got off the cycle and rushed into the house. The driver of the car, the only occupant, waited outside.

Another few minutes passed before the wolves emerged from the shack. The Nexus was able to show that they were holding boxes, large and small. They carried them to the single car and began to pack the things into the trunk and into the back seats. As they were going through the process a second car entered the area. Once the first car was filled up a wolf took the passenger seat and departed with the driver. The cycle owning wolf took his vehicle and left. The three remaining wolves entered the second car with the lone driver and left the clearing. Jack asked, "Can you track them?"

"All three?"

"The first car." Jack ordered.

"Will work on it."

After Ness spoke the hologram began to deteriorate. The pictures fizzled out of existence and the wireframe collapsed to nothingness. The clearing was returned to its natural empty, burnt state. Jack looked to the foundation. Ness spoke up, "I'll have to grab the data from other satellites to effectively track it. I'll tell you when I get a destination for it."

"Thank you Ness."

"So are you back on the case?"

"I don't give a damn what that HICU says. This is Nick and Judy's case. I am their consultant and I will help them solve it."

Jack walked towards the exit. As he did Ness asked, "Do you think it would be best to return to Officer Wilde at this moment?"

"I really should," Jack said half defeated. He reached the empty road. He could see police tape still blocked off the street. No doubt for when the HICU would return come daylight. Jack saw no police presence, "Can we do it without the teleporting. I've had enough of that for lifetime in one day I think."

"Too disorienting?"

"I think I'd like to be the one in charge of it next time. I couldn't prepare my body for it."

"Very well Jack, but it is a considerable walk back to Nick's apartment building."

Jack smiled as he thought of a plan. He brought the Nexus up and pointed at the road. He concentrated and whipping blades of crystal shot forth from the gauntlet into the street. They all were about two feet long. They moved around each other in the air, and then two of them bent and slammed into each other. Metal chimed in the air as another set followed the action. They lowered to the road as the rest of the blades broke into smaller pieces. They began to fill in the area around the two bent blades. They filled the space between the two. Snapping metal and crystals could all be heard in the area as Jack constructed what he desired.

The noises came to a stop as the structure was deposited in the street. It shined blue in the dying night light. Jack had just constructed a motorcycle. One fit for his size. The wheel cages had a snowflake pattern on them from the bent crystals. The wheels were a soulless black. The body was a dark hued blue, a few shades above navy. Ness spoke, "Masterful craftsmanship sir."

"Just as I pictured," Jack added as he approached and straddled the motorcycle.

It roared to life at his touch. Jack grabbed the handlebars and revved the engine. It gave a lion like growl. Jack smiled, disengaged the brake and pushed down on the gas. The cycle blasted forward, the engine roaring as he made his way off Arum drive. Jack projected a helmet on his head. The visor lit up with a heads up display. He saw his speed in the corner, nearly fifty. He made his way off Arum and onto the main streets, these too devoid of other drivers. He pushed the engine harder as he followed the directions on the visor back to Nick's.

…

The cycle whined to a stop as Jack approached the apartment he stormed out of less than an hour ago. The drive was not long, even without the speeds Jack was topping. He was on the empty highway where he broke a speed ticket warranting ninety. He could have sworn he got to a hundred at one point. Jack jumped off the cycle, his helmet retracting and disappearing. The wheels instantly broke apart into the blades that had formed it. The body followed as the entire thing folded in on itself. It formed a single sheet of blue tinted glass and then expanded out dissipating as energy. Jack looked to the building, it was exactly as he left it.

Jack hopped to the front door and looked at the intercom system. He thought about paging Nick to let him in, but then he remembered the Nexus. He looked to the lock and projected a tendril of energy at it. The lock was undone faster than he did in the other world. Jack pushed the door open and stepped into the lobby. The office was still closed off. Jack rushed to the stairs and to the second floor. He now stood outside of Nick's room. He had not yet knocked. He wasn't sure if he should. Ness sensed this and spoke up, "Just knock Jack."

Jack didn't answer right away. He still looked at the old wooden door, "Will he even listen to me?"

"I think he will be glad you didn't just up and runaway."

"How can you be sure?" Jack looked to the Nexus.

"I can't."

"Thanks Ness." Jack turned back to the door. His nerves not settled. He let out a sigh, "Now or never."

He raised his paw and rasped three times on the door. He lowered his hand as he watched the monolith of wood. He perked up one of his ears as he tried to listen to anything on the other side of the door. He could hear the TV was on, at a low volume. He couldn't really make out what was on. Over the sound of the TV he could hear footsteps. He listened as they got faintly louder. He lowered his ear as he saw the door knob begin to turn. As the door was opened the voice from beyond spoke, "Who is it."

Jack didn't answer as Nick pulled the door fully open. Nick had taken off his uniform and was now dressed in a plain white wife beater. He also had gray shorts on. Nick looked at the rabbit outside his door. His face held no expression as he looked the rabbit over. Nick asked, "So you found a way to get back did you?"

Jack didn't respond at first. He saw the fur of the fox was slightly disheveled. He could see the bulge on his side from the bandages around the bullet wound. He even had smaller ones on both of his arms from more cuts. He looked back to Nick's eyes. He shook his head no, "No Nick. I never left."

"That was my second guess, damn." Nick turned away from the rabbit and stepped into his room. Jack remained on the threshold as he asked, "You aren't angry at me?"

"Sure, when you first left," Nick answered depositing himself on the couch, "But the fact you never left means that you aren't going any time soon."

"I'm not going to give up on you."

"That's good to hear," Nick patted the area next to him on the couch. Seeing the offer Jack stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him and walked to the couch and hopped up onto it. Nick asked, "So what finally knocked some sense into you dumb bunny?"

"Ness did." Jack answered. He faced away from Nick.

"That computer of yours must be a good negotiator."

"He just gave me a chance to rethink things. Get my head in the clouds, and see things from a different perspective."

"Good," Nick simply stated, "So are you going to stick around till you can get back home."

"No," Jack answered turning to Nick. The red fox wore a face of confusion, "I'm only going to stay here till we solve the case."

"We are off the case Stripes, don't you listen with your big ears."

Nick emphasized the point by lifting one of Jack's ears with a single digit. Jack swatted the fox's hand away. He grabbed his ears and folded them behind his head, "I know Officers Wilde and Hopps and their consultant Jack were taken off the case."

Jack paused. Nick didn't answer waiting for him to obviously continue, "But how about Con-artist Nicholas Wilde and Hitmammal Jack Savage take on the case."

"Sly bunny." Nick added with a smile. Jack returned it.

Nick quickly spoke up, "You sleep on the couch ok," Nick slid from the furniture and walked towards the door opposite the kitchenette. Jack gave no objections as Nick continued, "We will go see Officer Fluff tomorrow morning. After that we'll follow your lead Stripes."

Nick opened the door to his bedroom. He stood in the frame as he looked back to Jack. Jack looked at the vulpine. Nick spoke, "Glad you stuck around Savage."

"Glad I did, goodnight Nick"

"Nighty Night."

Nick closed the door leaving Jack alone. He waved his hand and the TV shut off. He snapped his fingers and the lights followed the action of the TV. Jack laid down on the slightly comfortable couch. He remained in his clothes as he realized just how tired he was. Ness spoke up ending his chances of that, "Are you really going to leave after all of this."

"If we can close the case, then I have no reason to stay here. Once it is over I'm going, and I expect you to not stop me that time."

"I won't Jack. You have my word."

"Good. " Sleep embraced him very easily soon after.


	15. Chapter 15: Get Well Soon

**AN:** 3 months! The Runaway rabbit has passed 3 months. And we are passed the halfway mark of the story. There's not much left, and I'll give a bit of a spoiler. In the next chapter is when shit really starts to hit the fan. So fasten your seatbelts, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. And prepare as we reach the top of the climb to climatic events, evil plot and villain reveals, and death ridden escapades.

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **Get Well Soon**

Jack awoke with only a few hours of sleep, less than what a doctor would advise. He and Nick took turns at the shower that connected to the fox's bedroom. Jack still sported the same clothes he wore yesterday, the white t-shirt with blue accents and his dark brown khakis. The other ones Judy bought were now nothing but ash in the burned carcass of the cruiser. He didn't mind them. Jack waited in the main room for Nick to finished getting dressed. As the door opened Jack observed the fox not dressed in his uniform. The red fox now wore a light green Hawaiian shirt, brownish gray khakis lighter than his, and an indigo tie with blue and red stripes. Jack commented, "Interesting choice."

"It's what hustler me wore in his heyday, so why not?" Nick commented showing off the outfit.

"As you say," Jack ended the conversation gesturing to the door for Nick to lead. Nick held the door open for the white rabbit, "Let's get some breakfast and head off to Carrots."

"Can't disagree with that." Jack added as they went to exit the building. He had not eaten much ever since he got the Nexus. He needed some nourishment.

…

They stopped at a nearby Bug-Burga place. Preds mostly ate a diet of bugs and fish, this was a law established by Zootopia to cater to the meat eaters given that their main source of food was their fellow citizens. Bug-Burga was a massive chain restaurant with multiple establishments dotted all over the metropolis. They were mostly found by high pred demographic areas. Nick's apartment sat right on the edge of one. Even though it catered mostly to preds they did have a few options on their menu for prey. They seemed to only have recently started doing this. Obviously a means to tap into a far larger market of customers they were initially alienating.

Nick never really ate at the place, in part to his vegetarian diet. His dad was vegetarian, and thus the lifestyle stuck. He did try the bug stuff, but it felt like eating cardboard to him; at least what he figured it to taste like. He never ventured towards fish, and decided not to. Nick ordered mixed fruit and maple oatmeal; he made sure to ask for extra blueberries with it. Jack settled for a fruit and yogurt parfait. Strawberries, blueberries, plain yogurt, and granola crunch on top.

They ate in a booth off to the side. Nick covered the meal. The fox sparked a conversation, "So what did you actually find out about the case last night?"

"I was able to see what those wolves did to their hideout while they were chasing us." Jack answered.

"And what did the big bad wolves do Stripes?"

"Cleared house and then drove off. I had Ness track the car with the stuff they took. Most likely it would have gone to some other base of operations."

"It went to a warehouse towards the Savanna Central waterfront," Ness spoke aloud.

"I guess that's where we will be headed then," Nick commented.

"After we see Judy," Jack added.

They finished their breakfasts in relative silence afterwards. Neither of the two owned a method of transportation. Jack decided not to suggest what he used last night. Nick had it covered with his Zuber app. Jack's was unable to accurately process due to him being in a different Zootopia. With a male beaver as their driver they were taken to Savanna Central Medical, the hospital Judy was sent to. The beaver dropped them off. Nick thanked him and he drove off towards another fare. Jack followed Nick through the automatic front glass door into a decently sized and furnished reception area.

Jack's nostrils were instantly assaulted by the smell of antiseptic. The reception room was a long white room. The walls were a pale avocado color. Seats that matched the color flanked along the two longer walls. Places periodically between the chairs were glass topped white coffee tables. Each topped with an array of various magazines. Most likely majority of them were old by months. Along with the tables there were also plastic giant birds of paradise. At the head of the room two hallways forked off. At the base of the fork sat a wooden reception desk that matched the decor of the room. The top was an off white gray and the base was the same avocado green. A single nurse sat behind the desk. Others would fill the other three stations as the day went on and more visitor and patient traffic came.

Nick pulled himself up the slightly higher counter. The camel nurse removed herself from the papers in front of her and looked to the fox and rabbit. She asked, "How might I help you gentlemen today?"

"We're here to see a Miss Judith Hopps," Nick spoke. It felt weird for him to speak her entire name. He knew it would be easier for them to find her if he did, but it didn't sit right on his tongue. The nurse turned to the computer screen next to her. She typed in the name. After a few seconds of reading what the monitor display she turned back to the duo, "I'll need both of your IDs."

Nick reached into his pocket and fished his out. Jack did the same. Nick passed his to the nurse as did Jack. Jack was curious if his license would even count in this world. Without saying a word the camel began to type at her computer furiously. As she finished she spoke, "Ok Mister Wilde and Savage," she turned back to handing them their IDs, "You must wear these while you are in the hospital."

She reached to side as something was printed from under her desk. Nick grabbed them both and handed Jack's to him. They were name tags with their names, Judy's, and the time they checked in. The camel ordered, "Just take the hallway to your right. Judith is on the third floor in room Three-Three-Eight."

Nick thanked the nurse as he put his tag on, crumpling up the wax paper back and tossing it into a bin next to the desk. Jack followed the action and went down the hall with the fox. They found an elevator and called it. It arrived a few seconds later. They rode the empty lift uninterrupted to the third floor. Right outside the elevator a sign was glued to the wall denoting which rooms were which way. Judy's room was to the left, which they followed. 338 was not that far of a walk. The door to the room was open. Nick knocked on the ajar door as he entered, "How are we doing today Carrots?"

The single occupant of the room perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. She peeled her eyes away from the news she was watching to the door. She watched as Nick, followed by Jack, walked into the room. She spoke up, her voice showing signs of strain and droopiness from medication, "It's nice to see you guys."

"How you doing?" The fox asked as he neared the edge of the bed that seemed to swallow Judy. She had the blanket drawn over her body hiding her injuries. But he could see that her right arm was in a sling.

"Still sore," Judy answered looking to the bed, "But I'm still here."

"How long are you going to be out of commission?" Jack asked from the side.

Judy looked to the other rabbit. She let out a small smile that faded away, "I'll be here for a few more days before they will release me. They said I'll be bedridden for another two weeks or so."

"It was that bad?" Nick asked.

Judy didn't answer. She simply removed the blanket. She was dressed in a traditional light blue hospital gown. A cast was wrapped around her entire left leg. There were signs of other bandages underneath her gown dressing her lower abdomen. After a few seconds she spoke up, "Along with the damage to the leg two bones were fractured. A few of my ribs were misaligned," Judy lifted up the side of her gown slightly just able to show the wrapping that went around her entire stomach. She finished off, "And my arm was also dislodged," She faintly moved her right arm.

"But are you ok?" Nick asked as she finished.

She looked to Nick as if he should know the answer. She answered nevertheless, "This is me we are talking about Nick. Bunnies bounce back very fast. I'm no exception to that."

There came no response from either Jack or Nick. Judy filled the silence, "I haven't seen that old outfit in a while Nick."

Nick looked to what he was wearing. He looked to Judy and said, "Would you rather me come dressed in uniform?"

"Don't you have to be in today?"

"Nope," Nick answered quickly. He didn't give Judy a chance to respond, "We've been taken off the case."

"Why?" Judy was a bit shocked, and Jack could catch the faintest hint of sadness.

"Isn't it obvious Fluff," Nick asked. He waited for Judy to answer. He cocked his head to side as he waited for a few seconds to pass. He pointed to her leg, "You are out of commission for a good amount of time."

Judy's ears fell. She looked to her leg and then back to Nick. Raising and eyebrow she asked, "What about you and Jack, can't you still solve it?"

"Bogo wasn't the one that took us off the case?"

Judy was confused again. She let out a huff of annoyance, "You know I don't like these games Nick. I can't read minds!"

Nick gave a snicker. Jack decided that he should step in, "The HICU stepped in Judy."

The rabbit looked to Jack. As did Nick over his shoulder. Jack continued, "The head of it came to the scene. He seemed to have strong armed Bogo into giving back their case."

Judy nodded, "But what about you two then, no case?"

"Bogo saw it fit for me to be off duty till my partner gets better." He leaned in closer to Judy and whispered, "Doesn't want me to replace you with another bunny."

Judy shoved the fox away and warned clenching her good fist, "Don't you dare say a dime a dozen."

"Ok," Nick raised his arms in surrender, "I won't say that bunnies are a dime a dozen."

Judy just rolled her eyes and sat back down against her oversized pillow. She spoke before silence could set in, "So what are you two planning on doing today?"

Jack decided to get right to the chase, "We have a lead in the case."

Judy removed herself from the pillow wearing the same look of confusion. She didn't speak; she just looked at the two to explain. Nick took the mantle, "Bogo may have taken the cops off the case, but we are doing it as vigilantes."

"Bogo will have your hide for this you know that right Nick." Judy pointed a finger at the fox.

"He's already gotten my hide several times since I joined the force," Nick rebutted with a shrug of his shoulders.

Jack continued, "The HICU took the case from Bogo, but I am still a consultant in the eyes of the public. I work with you and Nick alone, and I am still on this case. I can't be taken off it since I am not an officer."

"You are blurring the line Jack," Judy countered, "You have no jurisdiction to do any of that."

"No I don't" Jack agreed. He lifted up his right arm and the Nexus projected a hologram in the middle of the room. It was no longer wireframe, but colored. It was a map of a section of Zootopia. The exact location Ness tracked the car to. Water, marked blue, filled half the hologram. The roads were marked orange and the ground was tannish. A large building in the center of the display rose above the flat surface. Jack explained, "Ness was able to track a car that fled from Arum Drive. It was loaded with whatever they were keeping at the site. Ness was able to track it to here. And that is where we are going."

"With no backup," Judy pointed out.

Jack removed the display, "I'm all the backup we need Judy."

"It still doesn't change the fact you guys can't do that." The heart monitor in the room began to beep more furiously.

"Why not Fluff?"

"We barely got out of those wolves' clutches with our lives. What make you so certain you can survive this one again?"

"Because they made it personal," Nick said resting his arms on the bed. He looked to Judy, his face softer, "They hurt you. Any mammal that hurts a rabbit like you doesn't deserve mercy."

Jack's ears dropped as he heard Nick's statement. Nick continued, "And now we know what we are getting into, so we will be prepared."

Judy sighed. She knew she couldn't press the issue any further. It would be an uphill battle with the fox. She gave a smile, "Be safe Nick."

The fox nodded and removed himself from the bed. As he did an otter nurse rushed into the room. She surveyed the situation and asked, "Are you ok Miss Hopps?"

Not waiting for an answer she made her way over to the bed, hopping up. She began to inspect the rabbit, "I'm fine."

Seeing it as their time to leave Nick and Jack made their exit. Jack hovered at the door. Judy looked to him. Jack spoke, "I'll watch out for him."

"Good luck Jack."

"Get well soon Judy."

Jack rushed to catch up with Nick who was already halfway back to the elevators. They didn't speak as it came to their floor and they rode it the ground floor. They exited the hospital and stood on the sidewalk. Nick asked, "So where exactly are we going?"

"It's part of an older industrial area," Ness answered, "One that is not really in use for shipping and storage since the city seems to have moved away from that area to attract more residential and commercial buildings right on the waterfront."

"The perfect place to hide whatever they are doing to make mammals to go savage," Jack commented.

"The entire area is planned for demolition soon," Ness added, "The building that they are at is not though."

"What's the address?" Nick asked.

"300 Pacific Avenue."

"We can't take a Zuber there." Jack commented "We want to be a little more under the radar."

"Walking is out of the option," Nick added, "Don't want to be exhausted if we are going to get in a fight with these guys."

"I have an idea," Jack suggested, "Follow me."

He directed Nick towards the side of the hospital. Here there was a small parking lot, for some visitors, the main parking was in the back. Seeing no one was coming Jack stood in a rather empty section of the black asphalt. Channeling energy from the Nexus he produced several of the glass like blades he did last night. He did quick work into reconstructing the exact motorcycle he drove. It looked even better with the sunlight gleaming off of it. As well as showcasing its transparency, being constructed mostly of energy based crystals. Nick gave a whistle, "Nice handy work."

He looked to Jack, "Can you always do this?"

"No," Jack lowered his arm as he stopped drawing energy from the Nexus, "I did it last night after I visited the crime scene. I needed a way to get back and I have not yet gotten use to teleporting."

"You can teleport?" Nick was even more amused.

"Me, no. But Ness can control the teleports."

"Why don't we just teleport to the place instead." Nick suggested

"There are few problems with that," Ness objected, "One being we don't know the makeup of the area, we could end up in a wall, or right next to a wolf. Second, teleportation is a bit of showy operation, completely going against the element of stealth that we want."

"Ok," Nick stepped in to stop the computer, "I get it not the best option."

He looked back to the motorcycle, "But isn't this still a bit flashy and attention pulling?"

"I might have a solution for that," Jack stepped in. He channeled more energy and directed it towards the cycle.

…

The mammal hidden in the shadows stood in his perch. The one he always was in when he oversaw the labor of those who were making his ambitions a reality. The mammalpower down below seemed to more than double. Various mammals, preds and prey, of different sizes were moving from end to end of the massive structure. With the rushed work hours they were working to get the entire thing ready by tonight. Today was the day of the big test. The confirmation that everything will go as planned. A smile formed on the mammals' face as he thought about everything finally working. He will finally prove to Zootopia what it has failed to do ever since its inception.

He was distracted by the phone in his pocket buzzing. He quickly fished it out and saw the number was blocked. But only one mammal should be calling him at the time. He answered and waited for the caller to answer, "It's all set sir."

"Is it functional?"

"Yep, just needs the confirmation to proceed."

"Did you get our guest of honor yet?"

"We were just about to go get her."

"Good. I want you back here after you prime it. Cast off will be before dawn."

"It will certainly be a nice wake up call for Zootopia."

"Yes, yes it will. I'll see the fruits of your efforts on the news."

"Very well, see you soon Sebastian."

With that Sebastian ended the call and stowed his phone away. He looked back down to the structure below. It was a work of artistry how the old cargo container was transformed to suit his needs. It no longer carried cargo, except for one thing. His masterpiece. His Rambrant. His Lionardo Da Vinci.


	16. Chapter 16: Now You Don't

**AN:** I am absolutely sorry for how delayed this chapter has been. First I was hit by a serious case of writer's block. Second I was sick for a few days. And third my laptop made me more aware that it is on its last legs. I am no longer sick, but I still am having a bit of a stall on progress with the next few chapters. This may continue to delay them. And I was finally able to order a new laptop to replace my current one. So as I transition to a new computer and get everything running on it, it may prevent me from working on this story. I hate to delay chapters, but I may have to release the next few later than I wish as I wait for my new laptop, get it set up, and I can get over this writer's block.

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen**

 **Now You Don't**

Jack brought the motorcycle to a crawl as he moved to the side of the street. There was very little traffic and almost no pedestrians. This wasn't the best part of town. Most of the business here had closed up a while ago. No apartments had passed inspections. It was a literal ghost town section of Zootopia. One that Mayor Malay was trying to reverse and revitalize by getting rid of the industrial sector that dominated this part of the waterfront. The buildings were showing signs of neglect and disrepair. They weren't on the brink of collapse, but if nothing was done soon they might very well be.

Nick held onto the seat of the cycle, Jack being too small for him to get a proper grip for stability. Jack's plan didn't raise any alarms. He cloaked the cycle to make it look just like any other. It no longer looked like it came out of a science fiction or fantasy novel. Nick dismounted first; he lost his ground but quickly regained his footing. Jack lowered himself to the ground and then waved his hand and the cycle returned to its normal state. It then exploded outwards into each of its individual shards. They evaporated into the air and returned to the Nexus. It had already shrunk significantly, it was below his elbow.

Nick looked to the rabbit, "So how are we going to get in."

"We'll cloak as well," Jack answered charging up the Nexus again.

"We're going to look like wolves?" Nick guessed what Jack was planning.

"It would be easier for us to be invisible then to cloak like that."

Nick cocked his head to the side, "You mean invisible, invisible?"

"You don't believe me?" Jack asked.

"I'll believe it when I see," Nick stopped himself and tapped his chin before correcting, "or don't see it really."

Jack gave a chuckle, "You'll not see."

The white rabbit waved his arms in an arch over his head. As his arms descended he began to vanish from thin air from his ears downward. His head followed, next his arms, torso, and lastly legs and feet. Nick nodded, "I guess that will work."

"Now you," Jack's voice sounded out.

Nick looked to himself, but didn't see any visible change. He looked up after a few seconds and he could see Jack once again. Nick raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you made yourself invisible?"

"Yes," Jack said.

Ness chimed in, "There are two fields of invisibility present. One over Jack, the other over you Nick. I was able to manipulate them so you two can see each other, but no one can either of you two."

"I'll take your word for it then," Nick answered back.

They had pulled down the street right before Pacific Ave, Marvin Gardens. Seeing it fit to not be spotted before they were rendered invisible. Jack looked to Nick, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Jack took lead, heading down a nearby alley that crossed to Pacific Ave. Nick followed right behind, "So they can't see us, but what about hear us?"

"I could add a muffle aspect to the invisibility," Ness chimed in.

Jack and Nick entered onto Pacific, where they stopped. Jack looked to the watch, "How much drain is their currently on the Nexus?"

"Invisibility for two bodies, both small, with the current reserves of power put us at a stable condition for about two and a half hours. After that the Nexus would not be very functional. A muffle would reduce the time by about fifty minutes."

"An hour and a half to do the job." Nick confirmed.

"Give or take on rough calculations," Ness added.

"Anyway to increase that time?" Jack asked.

"If I shut down background processes we might get some extra time." Ness answered.

"Can you?" Jack requested.

"Yes," Ness spoke, "But I will note that the chief process taking place in the background is my calculations on getting you a jump home."

"Shut it down for now," Jack said without a pause.

Nick looked to the rabbit, "Are you sure you want to, I think an hour is good enough."

"Better safe than sorry," Jack said looking to the fox. He looked back to the Nexus, "Shut them down Ness."

"And the muffle?" Ness asked.

"And the muffle." Jack confirmed.

"Very well."

Jack watched as the Nexus blinked and the waves of energy lessened till they were almost nonexistent. The screen flashed white. Jack and Nick could feel their fur stand on edge as the air was charged with electricity. The feel passed and Ness spoke up, "Muffle successful, time till Nexus reaches low energy levels is just over two hours."

"Then let's not waste a second," Nick advised.

Nodding in agreement the two invisible mammals checked the street and crossed. The other side was bordered off by a chain-link fence with barbed wire topping it. Jack lifted up the Nexus and channeled energy into the palm of his hand. He felt the heat as it began to glow red. He waved his hand in an arc in front of the fence. The metal followed the action of the Nexus and turned red, white, and then fell to the ground as molten steel. The section not heated fell. Nick looked to Jack, "Remind me to never shake your hand."

Jack gave a half laugh as he waved his hand. The red fading away as smoke rose from the cooling device. He gingerly stepped through the hole, Nick next. The fox asked, "Do we have to worry about someone finding the hole?"

"They can find it, but not us," Jack said as he walked down the alley between two of the large industrial buildings. Most likely for storage of cargo or equipment to be shipped for jobs. Nick followed right behind. Ness spoke up, "Take a left it will be the second building down towards the end of the dock. Under two hours."

Nick and Jack made their way Ness directed, sticking close to the buildings. Even if they were invisible and undetectable by sound they still did not want to walk right in the middle of the wharf. The area was completely devoid of activity. There were no signs that anyone had been there in a good amount of time. There were a few boxes and crates that littered area. Showing signs of decay being exposed to the elements and the salted waters of Zootopia Sound.

They passed the first structure and were nearing the building Ness designated. They came to a stop when they spotted movement up ahead. They stood still as they saw a timber wolf walk amongst the crates in front of their destination. Jack noticed that a few of the crates by the wolf were newer. They looked to have not stood more than a few days on the wharf. Nick spoke, "Sentry?"

"More than likely." Jack answered, "Let's try and find a side entrance."

Nick nodded in agreement as the two made their way in the gap between the two buildings. The walls were identical, pale tan bricks. Weathered and worn, exposure to the elements with perhaps years of neglect. Along the wall there were several classic industrial styled windows, all of them closed. The glass was cracked and broken in on a few of the small frames, but not big enough for either of them to make an entrance. Nick asked, "Anyway we can get in."

Jack's eyes canvassed the entire wall, yet could not find any hint of a passage. He looked to the Nexus, "Any suggestions Ness?"

"Teleportation, but that might make a bit of a showy entrance."

"So too would busting in the wall or a window," Nick added.

"True." Ness agreed.

"Any silent options?" Jack asked.

"I can think of one," Ness answered but remained silent.

"And that is?" Jack asked expecting him to explain.

"It involves phasing threw the wall."

"Like a ghost?" Nick asked.

"Basically," Ness confirmed, "You can become intangible and be able to pass through the wall as if it was air."

"Would that cause a serious drain of energy?" Jack worried.

"With everything still active it might." Ness gave the best answer he could muster.

"We'll have to deal with what we are dealt," Nick gave his answer.

"Very well," Jack agreed, "When you are ready Ness."

"Preparing Intangibility."

Jack and Nick stood still as they waited for the new effect to take hold. After a few seconds Jack saw him beginning to fade. It wasn't like when he became invisible. He saw his fur fade as if he was becoming transparent. He looked to Nick and the fox was undergoing the same process as well. Nick was looking wide eyed at his paw, which he could see the wall through slightly. Nick looked to Jack to see that he was in the same state. It was as if someone partially erased the two of them to the point they were like frosted glass. Ness spoke up, "Intangibility stable, drain is increased, if you would please go through the wall the drain can be reduced."

"Bunnies first," Nick waved to the wall for Jack to go. The white rabbit rolled his eyes and walked to the solid structure. He reached his hand out. Rather than come to a stop on the wall it did fall through as if it wasn't there. Pinpricks coated his entire arm, as if coarse sand was rolling over every inch of it under his skin. He gave a sigh, closed his eyes, and crossed the threshold. The feeling of sand filled his entire body and then vanished. He shook himself a few times to rid the feeling. He looked to see the inside of the building he was just standing outside.

He was still intangible as he looked to the area around him. A raised platform enclosed the perimeter of the single long room. The lights were dimmed not allowing him to see the other end cloaked in darkness. The floor in the middle was untouched concrete. The warehouse was practically void of any containment. There were a few remaining boxes, most of them opened and their contents removed. In the center of the room sat two cars, one was the one he saw at the clearing. It was the one that traveled here. They both sat in front of the garage door exit. Most likely where the sentry was outside standing. There were two occupants of the room. One was a wolf, the other a black bear. They were standing next to the cars.

Jack sensed Nick behind him. Nick spoke up, "I'm not doing that again."

Jack looked to the vulpine who was rubbing his arms to remove the sense of sand. He watched as Nick began to become opaque again. He looked to himself to see his arms were returning to normal. Ness spoke, "Tangibility restored, we have less than an hour and a half."

Jack remained on the outskirts of the room on the metal platform. He stepped towards a large box and looked to the two other occupants. The bear and wolf were dressed similarly, jeans and plain red t-shirts. The bear was smoking a cigarette. The wolf was looking at his phone. The bear tapped the ash of the nearly gone fag. The lights in a small enclose off to the left turned off, it looked to be an old office. Emerging from the makeshift room was a hippopotamus, dressed the same. The hippo stashed a cellphone in his pocket as he approached the two, "Just talked to the director."

Nick scooted closer to the bunny. Jack raised one of his ears to single out the conversation better. The bear dropped his cigarette, smashing it under his foot, "What are our orders?"

The wolf stowed his phone away as the hippo closed the distance, "The guys at the Palm are almost done. They should be going in under an hour," the hippo checked a wristwatch. He looked back to the two, "We are to head to him and prep the place before he heads off to Sebastian."

"I'll get Duke," the wolf said. He rushed to the side and exited a door to the front. The bear looked to the hippo, "Anything else?"

"Nope. Just that."

The two wolves entered the building. Not wasting a second they entered the two cars. The metal door rose up with aged gears. It faltered slightly in its ascent, but continued till it was up. Jack looked to Nick, "This may be our only chance at figuring out what they are doing."

"What were you planning on doing?"

The first car started up and exited, the hippo was driving with the first wolf. In the other car was the bear and Duke. Jack rushed forward, sensing what to do Ness dropped the invisibility and muffle. Crystal armor coated every inch of Jack's body. A pulse of energy rocketed Jack off the platform, the metal denting in his wake. He aimed his feet right at the window of the car as it went to exit. The wolf turned to see the flying rabbit. The passenger window caved in, a shower of glass wrapped Jack as his feet impacted the face of the wolf. A pulse of energy erupted from the suit and punched the wolf into the bear. As Jack hit the wolf again another pulse blasted the two of them out of the car, taking the driver's door with them.

The two bodies fell to the ground, the door of the car tumbled towards the dark end of the room. Jack slammed himself into the ground, grinding to a halt. Grooves were etched into the concrete by his legs and arms. He looked up to see Nick rushing towards him, "Are you insane!"

Jack retracted the suit of armor to just to his arms and legs, "Now we can chase them."

"You didn't answer my question," Nick stated as he reached the car. He reached in and engaged the emergency brake. The car remained idle as the vulpine looked to the rabbit, "Why did you do that?"

"They were going to get away," Jack gestured to the two unconscious forms behind him, "I only took one car out."

"That means the other one is going to report that they've been found out."

"Not if we stop them."

Nick looked to the car, "Car chase?"

"Most likely."

Nick looked back to Jack, "Can you guarantee that no one will be harmed."

"Besides the other two?"

"Jack." Nick sternly voiced his name.

Jack sighed, "Yes, we are losing them Nick."

"Fine," Nick jumped into the driver's seat, "I drive this thing, it's too big for you."

"I got that." Jack jumped into the passenger seat. He channeled energy into the car. The loose door flew off the ground and back to the vehicle. It reattached perfectly. The broken glass was fixed. Crystals grew from the pedals bringing them into Nick's range. Jack looked to the fox, "Better?"

"Yes." Nick disengaged the emergency and drove out onto the wharf. Towards the end they could still see the other car. Nick pressed on the gas to catch up. The car turned to exit onto the main street. Nick followed the action, and continued in pace with the car. It seemed that they did not know that Jack and Nick had taken the car. As they got to a red light intersection Nick kept his distance from the stopped car. Jack watched as the passenger wolf brought up a phone. After a few seconds he looked back at the two of them. He dropped the phone and barked at the hippo. The light was still red when the car burst into the intersection earning a honk from a car they cut off. Nick pressed on the accelerator, the chase was on.

The car made a quick right, which Nick mirrored. The hippo hopped over abandoned railroad tracks that crossed the road. Trying to escape the fleeing car made a hairpin left. Nick narrowly missed the maneuver, banging into a parked car. They were already losing distance as he brought it back up to speed. Jack focused on the side of the car and repaired the damages. He looked to the fleeing car as it turned yet again. Jack spoke, "Ness can you track with the CCTVs?"

"Yes sir." Ness chimed in. On the right side of the windshield the Nexus projected a GPS of the streets. A yellow dot was in the center, them. A red flashing dot was quickly added ahead of them. The road the hippo just went down was a dead end; at the very end were more railroad tracks. Nick made the turn. Jack watched as the fleeing car jumped the curb and bumped across the empty tracks. Nick pressed down further as they made a left. An overpass was just ahead. They made the jump across the tracks, no trains were in sight. Nick turned left. There was more traffic amongst these streets. They couldn't let them get away.

They followed the car as it made another right, going under the overpass. There was no entrance to the highway where they were. No easy escape for them. Jack asked as they exited the shadow of the highway, "Do you think you can get close to them?"

"If I can get the speed," Nick glanced at Jack, "Why?"

"I got a plan." Jack answer channeling energy from the Nexus to recreate the suit of crystal armor.

The hippo was not taking any turns. Nick pressed the accelerator to the floor to clear the distance. Seeing his chance Jack released the energy, he began to fade as he became intangible again. He leapt off the seat and phased through the windshield. He faded into existence as he slammed down on the back of the fleeing car. The trunk caved in under his powerful landing. The wolf looked back, he reach down and produced a gun. Jack jumped onto the roof of the car as the back window burst into a shower of glass. Nick still kept chase as the car swerved right and left feverishly trying the shake Jack off.

The rabbit hopped foot by foot to the front as more bullets were shot through the roof of the car. He jumped up and came down on the front of the car. The wolf looked at the rabbit as he fired again. Three bullets punctured the windshield, but harmlessly bounced off the armor. Jack reached forward and punched through the broken windshield. He grabbed the steering wheel from the hippo. He tried to pull it to the left. The far stronger hippo fought. Jack sent a bolt of electricity into the wheel. The hippo was sent recoiling. The hippo let go of the wheel and the car veered to the left. It jumped the curb, taking out a fire hydrant. It knocked into a telephone pole, snapping its base. The wires snapped and electricity arched as the car crashed into the side of a building. The car came to a stop in the rubble. Nick came to a halt right in front of the carnage. He jumped out of the car, "Savage!"

He stood on the side as pedestrians began to converge on the scene. Nick saw a few of them take out their phones. Some called the police; others began to take pictures and videos to post online. A blast of energy sent everyone scattering. The stopped car moved on screeching tires and onto the sidewalk. Jack, still adorned in the full suit of armor, strode to the side of the car. He grabbed the driver's door and ripped it right off. The slack form of the hippo came out. A sizable piece of the broken telephone pole pierced the chest of the mammal. Blood was flowing forth and staining the red shirt redder. Jack looked to the passenger of the car. The wolf groaned in pain. He had a few cuts on his face. Jack jumped onto the front of the car. The wolf snapped to attention when the car jumped to the hard landing. Jack commanded, "Who are you working for!"

"Bite me," The wolf barked back. He spat blood to the side.

"You will tell me what I want to know," Jack raised his arm. A ball of energy present in the appendage. The wolf leaned forward, "You'll have to kill me. I won't tell you a thing."

"Let's get some air," Jack stated as he closed the distance and grabbed the collar of the wolf's shirt. He released the energy and a ball of electricity formed around the two. It faded and there was no trace of the two of them. Everyone looked around to where the armored rabbit and wolf had gone.

High up in the sky Jack and the wolf exited the ball of electricity. They were not as high as Jack was when Ness did this to him. They were just under the clouds. Before they could begin to fall large crystal wings erupted from the back of Jack's suit. The wings were segmented, each crystal detailing a feather and limb, but none of them were connected. The two remained in the air. Jack held the wolf with both hands by the collar. The wolf kicked his legs in the empty air. He looked to Jack, slightly fearful. Jack spoke, "Who do you work for?"

The wolf didn't answer. Jack sighed, "The hard way then."

He let go. The wolf tried to grab the rabbit as he began to fall, but he swiped at the empty air as Jack floated backwards slightly. The wolf began to fall. Jack remained at his height, watching the plummeting canine. He waited a few second before he retraced the wings to his side and rocketed towards the wolf. He grabbed the back of his shirt and halted his fall. His wings flew open. He gave a flap of them as the wolf whimpered. Jack spoke again, "I may not be so generous next time." He paused, "So tell me who you work for."

"Sebastian! His name is Sebastian." The wolf spoke as fast as he could.

"What is Sebastian planning?"

The wolf looked to the blue crystal coated rabbit that was holding him from certain death, "To destroy Zootopia."

"How?"

The wolf didn't answer. Jack let go of him and let him fall again. The wolf screamed out, "He has a device!"

Jack had fallen pace with the wolf. He asked, "What device?"

Jack had yet to grab the wolf. The wolf pleaded out, "I don't know."

"Not good enough," Jack began to float away from the wolf.

"He calls it the Berserker."

Jack moved forward and grabbed the wolf by his tail. He yelped in pain as he yo-yoed slightly. The wolf danged in the air by his tail, he looked up to Jack. The bunny spread his wings and asked, "What does it do?"

"Makes animals go savage."

"How?"

"I don't know."

Jack lowered his grip on the wolf's tail to nearly the end. He yelped out, "I swear, I don't know he never told us how. We were just to build it!"

Jack asked a different question, "When is he going to use it?!"

The wolf didn't answer. Jack jostled the wolf in his grasp. He answered, "Today. Today!"

"When?" Jack stopped. He raised the wolf a bit.

"Soon, they are all set up at the Palm Hotel. They just had one last thing to get."

"What?"

The wolf smirked, "Just a little bunny."

Jack tossed the wolf up into the air and grabbed him by the collar as he fell back down. Jack pressed his face to the wolf's, "Who?!"

"Officer Judith Hopps."

…

The automatic door of the front entrance to Savanna Central Medical slid open. The camel nurse behind the front desk looked to the three mammals that strode into the room and walked towards her station. She was still the only nurse on duty at the moment. The group was made up of a wolf, a horse, and a pig. The wolf took lead and leaned on the counter. He looked to the side as the camel asked, "How can I help you three today?"

"We're here to see Judy Hopps, what is her room?"

"I'll need your IDs," the nurse said as she turned to her computer and checked up on the rabbit, "She is in room Three-Three-Eight."

She turned back to the three. She froze when she looked to what the wolf held between the two of them. It was not an ID, but a gun. A black pistol with a silencer attached to it. The wolf spoke, "Here's my identification."

He pulled the trigger and a single bullet went right into the camel's head. She fell to the ground dead. The wolf turned to his partners, "Room Three-Three-Eight."

The other two pulled out silenced guns and made their way for the elevator.


	17. Chapter 17: Corruption and Lies

**Chapter Seventeen**

 **Corruption and Lies**

Jack deposited the wolf onto the ground unceremoniously. He quickly moved to him, picking up the predator and slamming him into the bumper of the crashed car. Jack grabbed the metal bumper and morphed the back of the car into a knot around the wrists of the wolf. Nick approached Jack, "What did he say?"

"We have to get to the hospital this instant," Jack answer back as he closed the distance. His wings rolled in and dissipated. The armor followed suit. Nick looked to Jack, "What's going on?"

Jack looked to the Nexus. It had shrunk significantly; it was no longer on his hand at all and was halfway down his forearm. Jack looked to the fallen telephone pole. He spied one of the loose wires. He saw a small spark of electricity from it. He walked over and grabbed it. The rabbit began to drain the energy from it, "Judy is in trouble."

"What?" Nick was only able to respond with that.

A single thick blue tendril grew from the broken end of the wire and interacted with the Nexus. Jack looked to Nick, "They're going after Judy."

The Nexus continued to grow as Nick asked, "Why her?"

"Because she and you have become a nuisance," the wolf spat from the side.

"A nuisance?" Nick asked looking to the wolf, "Because we are doing our job."

"Just because you are doing your job doesn't make it right."

Nearly Jack's entire arm was coated in the Nexus when he dropped the wire. He strode up to the wolf. He grabbed him by the chin, smacking his head into the car, "When are they going after her?"

The wolf cracked a smile, "They already got her."

He gave a laugh. Jack slammed the wolf's head into the car, knocking him out. Jack stepped away and towards Nick, "Hold on."

"What are you doing?"

"We are going back to the hospital." Jack answered channeling more energy into the Nexus. He concentrated on the task he was about to perform.

"Teleport?" Nick asked.

"Teleport." Jack confirmed. The two were consumed by a ball of electricity that vanished fast. There was no evidence of the rabbit or fox once inhabiting that spot on the road. Police sirens in the distance neared the area of the crash.

In a flash of light Nick and Jack appeared in the reception area of Savanna Central Medical. The room was devoid of activity. A siren was going off, and lights by the doorways were flashing. Nick tried to regain his composure after the teleport. Jack rushed towards the reception desk. He jumped up and looked to see the body of the nurse they saw earlier. A bullet hole was right between her eyes, and a nice sizable puddle of blood had formed around her. Nick spoke up from down the room, "Seems they already got here."

Jack jumped down from the desk as Nick walked towards him. Jack said, "They had lethals."

"Not leaving anything to chance," Nick commented as he headed towards the elevator. Jack followed as he asked, "Going to see Judy?"

"I'm not leaving until we see if she is here."

The elevator call was not working; the alarm disengaged them from operation. There was a set of stairs not that far from the elevators. They followed the signs marking their location and rushed to the third floor. They saw several bodies on the hallway of the floor. Nurses, doctors, and few guards made up the visible body count. Each of them had bullet holes in precision locations. These mammals that attacked the hospital were professionally trained. Each of their shots were dead on, and accurate to kill with one shot. Two if necessary it seemed. Nick jumped over the dead bodies and towards room 338.

Jack lazily followed. He saw Nick stop in the doorway of the desired room. Nick seemed to deflate, and almost refused to enter the room. Jack rushed to close the distance and the vulpine entered. Jack remained in the doorframe and watched Nick. The red fox just stood in the middle of the room. The bed sheets were half on the floor. The gown Judy was wearing was ripped and on the ground. Jack stepped in, "We are going to find her Nick."

Nick fell to his knees, "How?"

Jack wasn't sure. He just felt like it was what he should say. Jack didn't answer. Nick's ears fell as he turned to look at the rabbit, "How do you know we can?"

Nick stood up, "They got her and left, there is no way we can find her."

Jack could see the inkling of tears in Nick's eyes. Jack faltered to answer at first, but he remembered one thing the wolf had said, "The Palm Hotel."

"What?" Nick looked at Jack with confusion.

"The wolf said something about the Palm Hotel, that must be where they took Judy."

Nick was not able to give a response as the two of them heard footfalls coming their way. They turned to the door as a mammal arrived. It was a lioness dressed in jeans, a black shirt. She had a navy blue jacket as well; there were golden letters on the shoulder that read HICU. Behind the lioness came a black bear, dressed similar to her. The bear lowered the tranq gun he was holding as he saw the two occupants of the room. Nick spoke, "HICU?"

"Yes," the lioness showed the sleeve of her jacket.

"Officer Wilde," Nick gestured to himself. He pointed to Jack, "This is my consultant Jack Savage."

"Sarah Mulder," the lioness gestured to herself. She pointed at the bear behind her, "Phil Scully."

The bear nodded to the two. Sarah asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Officer Hopps," Nick answered, "The mammals that attacked us last night on Arum Drive attacked the hospital for her. They took her to the Palm Hotel."

Sarah looked to Phil and nodded. The bear returned the gesture and raised his gun. He fired one shot right at Jack. The rabbit looked to the dart; he quickly pulled it out as he channeled energy to attack. Nick shouted out, "What the hell!"

Sarah removed her gun from her holster and fired a dart at Nick. Jack was unable to make an attack as the fast acting tranquilizer knocked him out. He fell to the floor. Nick tried to fight the effect, but he was losing. Sarah strode into the room, "You are predictable Nicholas."

Nick fell to the ground as he was on the cusp of unconsciousness. Sarah knelt down, "And you are a nuisance that must be dealt with."

…

Judy groaned as she came to. Her memory was foggy, but she remembered animals charging into her hospital room. She could remember the sounds of pained gasps, silenced bullets, and pleas for mercy. Pleas she figured went unanswered. After they stormed her room she was shot, but not with a bullet. She remembered seeing a red tuft of a tranq dart in her stomach. Judy's eyes opened wide as she finally woke up. The haze of the tranquilizer finally disappearing. She tried to move, but she was met with restriction. She was in a massive room cloaked in darkness, so much so that she could not make out the edges of it.

She was on a raised platform in the center of the room. The stage fell off not that far from her. She could see rows and rows of seats all surrounding the stage. She was in a stadium of some sort. The only source of light was a large stage light overhead that illuminated the podium. In the very center Judy spied a black metallic cylinder. There were markings and etchings on the surface of it, yet she was too far away to make them out. She looked down to herself. She was no longer wearing the hospital gown. She wasn't wearing anything at all, she was naked. Instinctively she tried to cover herself, but she was met with the same resistance. Her leg was still in its cast, and the bandages were still around her stomach. Her arms were held behind her back. She looked over her shoulder, her arm was out of its sling and handcuffs were done on her wrists. The cuffs were bolted to the floor by a nail, obviously fired from a nail gun. She adjusted her sitting position and used her good leg to cover herself as best as she could.

She heard a voice erupt from the darkness, "It's good to see you are awake Miss Hopps."

Judy's ears perked up to the sound, but she lowered them as a honey badger walked to center stage. He stood next to the black cylinder. He placed a paw on the surface of the metal, "I was afraid my men might have overdid it back at the hospital."

"Who are you?" Judy spat at the mammal.

The badger didn't answer as three more mammals emerged from the darkness. They stood on the edge of the light, but Judy was still able to make them out. She shrunk back; they were the mammals from the hospital. She recognized the wolf, horse, and pig. The badger spoke, "My name is Albert."

"What do you want with me?" Judy asked trying to make herself as small as possible.

Albert stepped away from the cylinder and strode towards Judy. He spoke, "I'm not the one that chose you to be here. My boss wanted to ensure that an annoyance like you would be dealt with."

"And who exactly is that?"

"It doesn't really matter that much at the moment," Albert redirected the question as he turned and walked back to the cylinder. He reached for the top and pressed a button, and then stepped to the side. A hiss of air sounded out as the sides of the cylinder separated into three panels. They hit the floor to expose the inner workings of the device. Inside was a glass cylinder, the inside was lit amber. Inside the glass chamber was a series of metal coils. Albert looked to Judy, "What happens to you will be the least of this town's worries."

"You're the ones behind the savage case," Judy stated with realization.

"Fast bunny," the pig spoke with sarcasm.

Albert ignored the commented as he answered, "Good deduction, but that was just a test."

"A test? What kind of test?"

Albert stepped closer to Judy. He loomed over her. She turned away from him, she didn't want him this close to her when she was without clothing. The badger lowered himself slightly to be eye level with the rabbit. He smiled, "A test to see if prey were susceptible to the effect."

Judy didn't answer; she folded her ears over her shoulder to get more cover. Albert straightened back up, "Don't like being natural Judy?"

She glared daggers at the badger, "Especially not in the company of someone like you."

"You wound me Hopps," Albert held his chest in mock pain. He dropped the joke and continued, "It seemed fitting."

"Fitting?" Judy cocked her head to the side.

Albert looked to the side, "We know someone will more than likely come to save you," he paused as he walked back to the device, "But we have a surprise in store for them."

Albert remained still next to the device, facing away from Judy. She chimed in, "What surprise?"

"This," Albert answered turning around with a gun in his hand. It wasn't a lethal, neither a tranq gun. Judy recognized the weapon instantly. She stared Albert down, "Where did you get that?"

"From a little sheep friend." Albert smiled as he pulled down on the trigger.

A small whip of wind was all that sounded out. Judy was unable to dodge the projectile, being stuck in place. She was pushed onto her back. Judy stared down in horror at the blue smear of liquid smack center of her chest. She looked back up at Albert. He lowered the pistol, "Give her a few seconds, remove the restrains and then we leave."

He reached for the device and turned a dial. He looked back to Judy. Her vision began to fade. She felt her heart begin to race. Her breathing was faster. Her nose was twitching. Judy spoke, "Ni-Nick w-wi-will s-stop you."

"I doubt that Hopps," Albert turned back to Judy. The horse and pig had already made their exit; the wolf began to walk towards her. He held a bolt cutter in his paws. Albert wore a sinister smile, one that read confidence. As if he knew he had won, "How can he stop us when they will be too busy being dead?"

"W-What d-did you d-do t-to him?"

Albert didn't answer as he walked into the darkness. His voice echoed out, "They should be arriving at the hospital right now."

"He w-will stop y-you!" Judy shouted out. She gave a growl at the wolf still standing by her side. She recoiled at the action she didn't mean to make. The wolf smiled, "How does it feel to go savage bunny?"

Judy didn't answer. She tried to speak, but her voice didn't come out. Her vision tunneled, her eyes glazed over. Her pupils increased in size. The wolf bent down and snapped the cuffs in half. Instantly she tried to scurry away from the wolf. She tripped over her injured limbs. She bared her teeth and began to gnaw at the cast on her leg. The wolf laughed as he made an exit. Judy continued to chew at the cast, beginning to break it. The dark room was filled with the sound of charging electricity. Sparks flashed into existence inside the glass chamber taking center stage.

…

Nick heard the muffled sound of a car engine. His ears twitched as he could also sense the presence of other mammals. He kept his eyes shut as he tried to move, but he was bound tight. He heard a voice speak aloud, "It would seem he's awake."

Nick opened his eyes to see the white painted back of a van. He looked down to see a large concrete block served as his seat. A loop of rusted metal sat in the center of it and Nick was handcuffed to it. Behind him he saw a still unconscious Jack was also bound. He noticed that the Nexus had been removed. Nick looked to the other occupants of the back of the van. There was Sarah and Phil, still dressed in HICU garb. Sitting in between the two of them was a new addition, a rhino. He was dressed just like the other two, but he lacked an HICU jacket.

The van still remained in motion as Nick asked, "So, fake HICU uniforms?"

"Nope," Sarah answered, "Real agents."

"So the HICU is the bad guy." Nick nodded his head. He looked to the floor, "Yet another fantastic job by the Zootopia government."

The van came to a stop. Nick was forced towards the back door of the van, but was held in place by the immovable concrete block. As soon as they came to a stop Sarah and Phil rose up and opened the back door. Nick looked out see to the edge of an unfinished bridge. He recognized it instantly. Everyone in the city could see the new bridge that would span Bayou Bay, the body of water to the west of the Rainforest district. It would connect the Marshlands and allow for more growth beyond the peninsula that the metropolis populated. Far across the water he spied the other end of the bridge. As well as the beginning development of the new Docks to take most of Zootopia's trading ports off of the mainland. Another one of Malay's plans. They had recently just got the first end towers set up. He could see in the middle of the water the starting work for the other two tower foundations. The van backed up till it was on the edge of the bridge, Nick could see the waters far below.

Nick felt the presence of the rhino looming down on him, Nick turned to him and asked, "Are you HICU as well?"

The rhino didn't respond as he effortlessly pushed the concrete block closer to the edge. Nick panicked, "So you are just going to kill us?"

"Yes," Sarah shouted from the side of the van. Nick turned away from the rhino and looked out to the expanse of water. The rhino took a step back as the lioness continued, "In less than a day the three of you have nearly derailed our entire operation."

"Good," Nick smugly stated.

Sarah continued, "We had to rush our plans, but we also had to make sure that there would be no more meddling from you."

"So the Palm Hotel then?"

"Can't trust the lackeys off the street to keep their muzzles shut," the lioness said more to herself than to Nick. There was a slight pause before she continued, "But yes. That's going to be our next test. After that the main event."

"Savage animals?" Nick asked.

"Isn't it obvious," Sarah mocked.

"Just seems like it's not that original. Bellwether did the same thing and it failed."

"That was because that dumb ewe wasn't thinking about the long run. She was doing it too slow. We will have it done within hours, not months like she was trying."

"Good for you, but you aren't the best villains. You are just using what someone else did."

"Are you trying to belittle us Wilde?" Sarah asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Nick remained his demeanor as he teetered on the edge of plummeting to a watery grave.

She laughed before continuing, "Even to the end you try to be the smug one."

"What can I say," Nick tried to shrug, but his restraints prevented him from doing so, "A con-artist to the end."

"It's a shame you will be dead, won't be able to see Zootopia rip itself apart tomorrow."

The rhino took the queue and began to push the concrete block closer to the edge of the van. As the edge began to consume their perch Nick asked, "Took the Nexus as well?"

"Nexus?" Sarah asked. She gave an 'oh' of realization, "You mean the device your little rabbit friend had. Of course, something that powerful would be very useful to us."

"You won't win," Nick said as the block hovered over the precipice, the rhino being the only thing holding it from plummeting. Sarah asked, "How so Mister Wilde?"

She answered her own question, "The ZPD are not looking into it. The only ones that can do anything are indisposed, or about to be dead." She paused, "Zootopia will be destroyed in less than a day. And the one wrench in our plans, Mister Jack Savage, is going down the drain with you. We won Nick; there is no argument in that."

"You'll see," was all Nick gave in response.

"No. What I rather see is you drowning. Drop'em."

The rhino followed the order and released his grip on the block, sending it over the edge. Nick watched as they fell to the waters below. Not wanting to waste precious seconds of air time he reached over his shoulder and grabbed one of Jack's ears in his maw. Once he got a hold of it he bit down hard. Jack jolted awake screaming. He tried to grab his ear, but was unable to move. He looked behind him to Nick. Nick spoke first, "Talk about it later, can you call the Nexus."

"Call the Nexus?" Jack looked to his arm to see it wasn't there. He saw the water below, "Are we being killed?"

"Less talky, and more savey." Nick ordered with earnest.

Jack spoke, "I don't think I can."

"Well then think you can little engine!"

Jack gave Nick a deadpan look. Seeing now was not a time to waste seconds he sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't even sure where to begin to contact Ness. He figured he could only talk with him if the Nexus was connected to him. If by a miracle Jack did hear a voice in his head, "Are you awake sir?"

Jack spoke to the voice in his head, "Ness, now would be a good time to get back to where you belong."

"Very well."

Ness' presence faded as Jack felt something on his right arm. He looked down to see the Nexus had made its way back to him. It grew along his arm as it resituated itself. Just as it reattached the concrete block broke the surface of the water. Nick and Jack held their breath as they were dragged to the bottom of the less than shallow water. Acting fast Jack heated up the Nexus, causing the water to bubble and the metal to melt away. He dislodged himself and then freed Nick. They swam to the surface.

They aimed for underneath the bridge as they broke the churning surface. Nick spoke, "A bit to close there Stripes."  
Jack grabbed his bitten ear and inspected it. There was a nice set of marks adorning his left ear. He even saw holes through the pink inner flesh and blood beginning to mix with the water. He began to swim to shore, "Ness can you fix my ear?"

Without a word Jack felt warmth encapsulate the afflicted appendage. They reached the shore and remained there for a few seconds. Nick spoke, "We have to get to the Palm, they will probably try to stop us from getting there now."

"With the Nexus back in my possession, they know we could have survived." Jack suggested.

Nick looked at the area around them. He spied a parking lot half filled with cars, "Maybe another car chase."

"One was good enough for me," Jack answered standing up "But if it's for Judy, sure."

Nick stood up and began to walk towards the cars, "Do you care for her?"

"I got her into this mess," Jack answered.

"We both did." Nick tried to take some of the blame away from the white rabbit.

Jack didn't answer back. Nick took the lead as Jack looked to the Nexus, "I thought that only I can remove you?"

"Well, not exactly," Ness answered, "You can remove me, but if you are unconscious I cannot remain attached properly. I can be removed that way. Or if you are killed. Or your arm is chopped off."

Jack didn't answer as he rushed to catch up with Nick who had found a car their size.

…

Bogo sat at his desk reading over a document sent in from city hall. He was pulled away from his skimming when his phone rang. He picked up the receiver, "Chief Bogo, who is speaking?"

"This is Darius," came the caller.

"Mister Grey," Bogo was surprised with the caller, "Why the call?"

"It has to do with two of your officers."

Bogo gave a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Hopps and Wilde?"

"More Mister Wilde than Hopps." Darius answered.

"Listen, I just heard that the hospital was assaulted. My department is in a bit of disarray trying to control the situation."

"It's not about that Bogo," Darius corrected, "It would seem that Wilde and that Mister Savage took it upon themselves to continue investigating the case I took from their possession."

Bogo didn't responded at first. He smirked as he answered, "I'll see what I can do, but I'm stretched a bit thin here with the whole hospital thing."

Darius sighed from the other end. Bogo continued, "I'll put an APB on them. Try to settle this as civil as possible."

"Fine, if that is so, then I will probably spare some of my resources to detain them if they continue."

Bogo slammed his fist on his desk, "They are not fugitives! One of them is my officer and I will not have them treated as criminals."

"If they continue, I will treat them just as that." Darius hung up the call. Bogo fumed as he slammed the phone down on the receiver. He picked the phone back up and dialed in a number. The phone buzzed once and went straight to voicemail, "Wilde's name, policing's the game. Leave your mark after the beep."

Bogo hung the phone up as the beep went off. He dialed another number, "This is Judy Hopps. I'm sorry I can't answer your call at the moment. Please leave your number and message and I will get back to you as soon as I can."

Again Bogo hung up as the beep went off. He sighed as he looked to his phone. He rubbed his head, feeling the onset of a headache. He punched in a number, "Yes Chief Bogo?"

Clawhauser's voice rang out through the receiver from his position at the reception desk on the ground floor.

"Clawhauser I want you to put out an APB on Wilde and Savage."

The cheetah didn't respond. Bogo could hear the munching of something in his mouth over the phone. Ben gulped and asked, "Excuse me sir, did you say Wilde as in Nick Wilde?"

"Yes, our Nick Wilde." Bogo confirmed.

"And that fluffy white bunny with the stripes you sent off with them?"

"Yes, the very one."

"May I ask why?"

"You may ask, but you won't get an answer."

Ben gave one last question, "What about Judy?"

"Leave her out of it." Bogo hung up.

He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He did not want to do this. He rather not, but his hands were tied. He hoped Nick would not get himself in trouble. Bogo's phone rang. He picked it up again Clawhauser was on the other end, "Umm…" Ben trailed off.

Bogo filled in the silence, "What is it Ben?"

"I just got a call in from Precinct Three of a car chase."

Bogo didn't like where this was going. Ben continued, "They and the HICU are in pursuit of Wilde and Savage sir."

Bogo didn't say a word. "Sir?"

Still no reply from the buffalo. "Umm Sir?"

Bogo slammed the phone onto the receiver. The phone platform was mashed in half and a hole was punched into the top of desk into the drawer below. "Wilde!"

…

Jack had followed Nick to his car of choice. It was a small blue car. It was smaller than the one they had in the short chase earlier, fit for smaller mammals. As Jack neared he asked, "You want to take a car, and not my motorcycle?"

Nick answered as the rabbit closed the distance, "A car would be better in a chase. We will be less exposed than on a cycle."

Not objecting, Jack approached the driver door and sent a tendril of energy into the lock. As he undid it he stated, "I drive."

"Why you?" Nick asked from the side.

Jack looked back to Nick, "Because I said so."

The door unlocked and the car alarm went off. Nick rushed to the other side, "Now they know where we are."

Jack jumped into the car. He slammed his paw on the dashboard, the alarm shutting off, "They know where we are going I doubt it matters at this point."

Nick got into the car, "I still feel we need as much of a lead on them as we can get."

Jack started the car and backed out of the spot, "If it comes to them gaining on us, I'll handle it."

Jack made his way for the exit. As they drove they saw an otter rushing across the lot towards them, "Stop! That's my car!"

The rabbit and fox ignored the command and headed to the unguarded exit to the lot. Nick looked back to see the otter fish out a phone and make a call. Nick turned back, "The HICU might not be the only ones chasing us now."

Jack didn't respond to the comment as he turned right. He spoke to Ness, "Give me a GPS route to the Palm."

"Sure Jack," Ness spoke up projecting a map on Jack's side of the windshield. The roads were outlined faintly blue and a yellow path was highlighted with a red arrow marking their location. It was faded so the Jack could see the road ahead, but also able to see the directions. Ness ordered, "Continue straight on this road for about a quarter mile then take a right."

Jack looked to the display and pressed on the gas. He looked to the radio, "Can we get the police scanner?"

"Why?" Ness asked.

"We might be getting some company soon," Jack answered as he reached out and grabbed the radio. Electricity sparked from it. Static filled the car as it tuned. The static died as a voice sounded out, "I repeat we have a five-oh-three by the VerraZebra Bridge, a white rabbit and red fox have stolen a blue Nissand Viper Sedan. Said to be heading east on Bayou Boulevard."

"That otter was fast," Nick commented on the police report already signaling them out.

Jack reached back and made the turn as directed, "The HICU probably wants to stop us as soon as possible."

"Turn left ahead," Ness spoke up.

Jack followed the directions. Ness continued, "Stay on this road, make a merge to the left in a quarter of a mile."

The police scanner came to life, "This is Agent Mulder HICU, I have conformation of the Viper, will pursue."

Seeing fit he heard what he wanted Jack waved his hand to dismiss the police scanner. Nick looked out the back to see a black van was gaining on them. Jack checked the mirror to see it as well. He pressed down on the accelerator as the van turned on its lights and sirens. The voice of the lioness echoed from the van, "Pull over this instant Savage and Wilde."

Jack ignored and pressed further on the gas. Ahead he saw a pair of cruisers were heading towards them, their lights on as well. Seeing the walls closing in fast, Jack made a hard left turn, right into an alley. The side of the car scraped against the brickwork as they exited the other side. The van and police cruisers were too large to enter the alley, thus had to turn around to continue to pursue. Ness corrected the route, "Make a right coming up."

Jack followed the heads up display on the windshield. He was happy the streets here were mostly devoid of activity, but he knew they had to cross through more populated areas to get to the complete other side of the city. Jack made the turn, as did a police cruiser right on his tail. He pressed on the gas. Ness elected to change the GPS into a better HUD, better to show than tell like a GPS. This took the form of a faint yellow arrow projected on the glass to look like a part of the road outside. Jack ordered, "Can you get us to a highway Ness?"

"Recalculating," Ness seemed to mock the more computer like voice a GPS was programed with. Even if his voice was just a few aspects above that. The cruiser behind them spoke up, "Pullover Wilde."

Nick looked to Jack, "Why the highway?"

Jack took the directed left turn, which he had to make a right soon after. He was on another straight stretch of road as he answered, "We have to get to the Palm as soon as possible. A highway allows us the fastest route."

"You do know the police cruisers will be able to outperform you there right." Nick stated.

"That's what I plan on happening," Jack looked to Nick with a sly smile. Nick did not like where this was going. Sensing that was indeed what the rabbit was planning Nick ordered, "Don't kill anyone."

"Can I just shoot them in the leg?" Jack countered as he merged slightly to the right to get on the proper road. Nick interjected, "So long as it is none fatal."

Jack agreed as he followed the road. Jack looked back to see the cruiser had gained on them. The HICU van was also not that far behind with a cruiser alongside it. Jack spied the closer cop getting into position to perform a PIT maneuver. But with the size difference it might as well just be a drive over maneuver. Again the cruiser spoke up, "Stop now or we will be forced to take action."

Jack charged energy into the Nexus. He concentrated as he channeled it through the wheel of the car and down to the asphalt below. He kept the flow of energy with the car, and once it collected into a large enough surge he let go of the buildup. Jack watched through the rearview mirror as the road directly behind them erupted. Chunks of road and rock rose in the air, right into the police cruiser behind them. The front of the car was cratered, as well as the front tires by the sharp floating pieces of matter. The cruiser hit the massive pothole and was vaulted upwards landing on its roof. It slid to a stop in the road as the van and other cruiser passed it by.

Jack took the directed slight left as the two other pursuers mimicked his actioned. Jack looked back to see the black van was beginning to close the distance. The cruiser was trailing behind it as a second joined it and he noticed a third was not that far off. He took a slight right and entered on a straight stretch of road before the entrance to the highway.

The van was upon them, Jack looked back. He needed to stop the HICU, they would stop at nothing to stop them and destroy Zootopia with whatever their Berserker was. Jack looked to Nick, "Take the wheel."

Nick snapped to attention. His ears perked as he gave Jack a sideways glance, "Excuse me?"

"Take the wheel Wilde!" Jack ordered as he removed his hands from the steering wheel. Nick leapt from his seat and grabbed it. He kept the car on its straight path as Jack stood up in his seat. Nick asked, "Where are you going?"

"Out," Jack glanced behind him. He looked back to Nick, "Go ahead without me, I'll catch up when I'm done."

"Ok Stripes." Nick watched as Jack faded from existence and fazed through the seats and out of the car. Nick took the driver's seat as he looked in the mirror to the street behind him. Jack stood in the very center of the street as he became tangible again. He turned halfway to look at the advancing van. It seemed to pick up speed further as it raced towards him.

Jack gave a small twitch of his right hand and the suit of crystal armor encapsulated him. The ground cracked as asphalt was removed and plastered to his body. The crystal armor was covered with an additional coating of the ground. He clenched his fists as the van closed the distance to ram him.

The front of the van impacted the rabbit, the front bumper bend and morphed as it was deformed. It was as if the van just rammed into one of those protective pylons on the sidewalk. The van shaped as if it was trying to hug Jack. Jack flexed his shoulders and a blast of energy dislodged the broken metal from his body. The van lost all of its momentum and rested in front of Jack as he reached forward and grabbed the broken bumper. The asphalt coating fell and the blue crystal armor glowed brightly. He effortlessly picked up the vehicle and tossed it over his shoulders. Jack ignored the other encroaching police cruisers as he looked to the airborne HICU van. As it reached the top of its short arch and began to fall back to the street on its roof.

Jack slammed his foot into the ground, cracking the road, and he thrusted his arms upwards. The ground responded by shooting a spike of earth skywards and into the van. It skewered it in place and it remained suspended by a long spire of rock. Jack turned around as the cruisers closed in; he repeated the earth bending move and a wall erected across the entire street blocking the cars off. He heard one of them slam into the blockade. Another hit the first, but the third seemed to stop in time. Jack looked back to van. He saw the lioness Mulder pressed up against the cracked windshield. She looked to him. Jack gave a little salute and he disappeared in a flash.

Jack re-materialized in the passenger seat of the car, Nick was at the wheel and the car was not moving. The armor faded from his face as he looked around. Jack saw the spectacle he just performed not that far down the road. He looked to the fox. Nick looked to Jack, worry was plastered on his face. Jack spoke, "I told you to go on without me."

Nick didn't answer at first. Jack stared him down expecting him to. Jack sighed as he sat back down in the seat, "Just wanted to see me do my thing?"

"How are you alive?" Nick finally spoke.

The fox took the car out of park as he finally got over it and drove towards the nearby on-ramp to the highway. Jack answered as Nick took the last left they needed before the ramp, "I made myself into an unmovable object. And since the van wasn't an unstoppable force I won in that game of chicken."

Nick merged onto the empty ramp and onto the bizarrely empty highway. Nick spoke, "I don't like this."

Jack stood up in his seat and looked down the long stretch of ghost town like roadway. He could just make out something on the horizon. He squinted his eyes to get a better sense of what it was, but to no avail. Without objection Nick continued down the road closer to the Palm. As they moved down Jack spied the reason to the empty highway, a roadblock. Jack looked to Nick, "Roadblock ahead."

Nick perked up at the statement. He looked down the road to see it as well. He added, "I can make out five heavy cruisers, no way are we going to get through them with this car."

"What if we don't have to go through them?" Jack suggested.

Nick lessened on the gas as the distance to the line of cop cars lessened. He looked to Jack, "I'm fine with you doing what you did to those HICU scumbags back there. But I draw the line at my fellow officers. I don't want them harmed."

"Ok, then how else do you expect us to get to the Palm with a literal block in the road."

"Can't you just teleport?"

"No," Ness answered, "It may be the same as the Palm back in Jack's Zootopia, but it can have a completely different landscape. That makes it unsafe to teleport blindly."

"And we can't turn back," Jack added.

"Looks like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place." Nick stated.

Jack turned from the fox. They were going slow now, the roadblock was still a ways away. Seeing something out of the corner of his vision Jack looked behind to see encroaching cruisers speeding down towards them. Jack spoke, "Press on the gas."

"What?" Nick asked confused.

"Just do it Wilde." Jack ordered.

Nick noticed the movement in the rearview mirror and followed the rabbit's instructions. As their speed increased back to what it once was Jack smiled. They were enclosing on the road block. He could see cops in armor move around and hunker behind their cars as the smaller car closed the distance. Jack looked to Nick and asked, "Have you ever wanted a convertible?"

Nick stole a glance at Jack with a raised eyebrow. He didn't speak, but his face was plastered with confusion. Not understanding where the random question had come from. Jack rolled his eyes and he charged up the Nexus. Crystals flowed forth from the gauntlet and latched onto the steering wheel, taking Nick off of it. More crystals morphed onto the gas pedal pushing it down to the floor. The wheel was stabilized, keeping the car on a straight path towards the road block. Jack pointed his fingers like a gun to the roof of the car and a single blast of energy erupted upwards. The roof of the car was ripped right off and landed on the road. Jack summoned the crystal wings and grabbed Nick's arm. In a blast of air the two were launched out of the car and high into the air, the windows erupting in their wake.

The accelerating car slammed into the road block, pushing one of the cruisers back. The officers jumped back as the car impacted. Jack hovered high above the highway, giving him a good view of Zootopia. He even spied the Palm hotel. The pursuing cruisers came to a stop as their occupants exited to see the flying rabbit with a fox in his grasp. Nick shouted, "Are you insane?"

Jack gave a flap of his wings as he looked to the fox. Nick brought his other hand up to grab Jack's. Nick's ears were plastered backwards. Jack asked, "Afraid of heights?"

Nick gave a half laugh, "No. I just don't like to be dangling over certain doom by a mammal half my size."

"Cry baby," Jack countered looking back to the Palm. He saw a large pool of water nearby. He focused on his target and let go of the energy he was building up. The officers on the ground watched as the floating rabbit and fox disappeared in a flash of white light.


End file.
